Chemistry
by Horsefeathers103
Summary: There's some chemistry between Greg and the new lab tech, and someone from the CSIs past comes back to haunt them.
1. Happy Valentine's

Disclaimer:  I don't own any of the CSI characters.  They belong to Jerry Bruckheimer and his team of geniuses.   Only Beth is mine, as I created her.

*~~~~~~~~~~*

When Gil walked by the DNA lab, he saw Beth Morstan and Greg Sanders hard at work, as usual.  He paused for a moment to watch them practice their art.  Beth was a stunning young woman.  She had brown eyes that were constantly sparkling and a smile that could make any man weak in the knees.  Her hair was a deep brown, but was decorated with faint red highlights.  She was tall for a woman, but beautifully proportioned.  Her thin five foot, ten inch frame was intimidating to most men, but there was one who didn't seem to be affected.  Greg was that one.  Greg was a good-looking guy who was always trying something new.  He was very creative and imaginative and this was displayed in the way he styled his dirty blonde hair.  It was different every day, yet always spiked in every direction.  He had brown eyes that complimented Beth's eyes nicely.  Greg was only one-fifth of an inch taller than Beth, but the similarity in height never bothered him.   It had been said that if he wore outfits that accentuated his muscular frame, he would rival Nick in the ladies' department.  Gil watched them hover over various computers and machines, pulling print-outs from this one and putting trace samples in that one.  After a few moments, he continued on his way down the hall.

*********************

Inside the DNA lab, the two chemists were intently focused on what they were doing.  But every now and then, Beth would steal a glance at Greg and her heart would skip a beat.  She had only known Greg for about four years, but there was a certain "chemistry" between them.  It wasn't just the fact that they both had their Master's degrees in chemistry.   No, there was something more going on between them.  Beth was okay just being friends with Greg, but sometimes, she found herself longing for more.  She wanted to be by his side wherever he went, whatever he did.  She wanted to go the extra step with him, but she was one of those "old-fashioned chicks" who let the guy make the first move.  She was one of the few women who believed that chivalry was not dead…it was just missing in action.  She had decided that she would wait for Greg.  She would wait forever, if that be the case.

Greg knew how she felt.  But something kept him from asking her to go that extra step with him.  Something inside him held him back.  Whether it was doubt or anxiety, he couldn't tell.  He wanted to ask her to be his girlfriend, but he was waiting for a certain moment, a certain mood.  Or maybe it was that he was afraid of what could happen.  He couldn't explain it, not to anyone or to himself.  He usually didn't have a problem with girls, but Beth was different.  She really meant something to him.  Not that the other girls he dated didn't mean anything to him, it was just that he truly loved Beth, and for once in his life, he was afraid that he might ruin a good friendship.  He wanted to ask her, but he didn't want to, both at the same time.  He just couldn't bring himself to ask her out.  The entire night-shift put in their two cents and tried to hook them up, but their efforts were in vain.  He couldn't explain to them the thoughts that were chasing each other through his head.  He just accepted the fact that when the time came, he would ask her.

Everyone knew that one day they would be together; it was just a matter of time. They were a team.  Whether they were working the night-shift at the Las Vegas Crime Lab or not, it didn't matter.  They spent most of their waking time together.  While at work, their fellow employees called them the king and queen of the DNA lab.  They were dubbed the king and queen for two main reasons.  One, they were always together.  And two, they were so efficient when they worked together that it was said they ruled the DNA lab.  Even the other chemists on the Crime Lab payroll respected the titles given to Beth and Greg.  From an outsider's point of view, the two were already an item.  Only Gil, Catherine, Jim, Warrick, Sara, and Nick knew that this was not the case.  Beth and Greg were simply the best of friends.  They held nothing back from each other, but they had not yet made that commitment.

*********************

Greg and Beth often shared their nights off together. They had meals together quite often, but there was always a familial atmosphere.  It was almost as if they were brother and sister.  But this particular night off was going to be different.  This particular night off had fallen on Valentine's Day.  Greg had a feeling that Gil had planned this, and Greg seized the moment.  He finally decided to ask Beth to be his girlfriend.  Greg had planned the perfect evening for the two of them.  He called her up and invited her over for dinner.  

"Hello?"

"Hey Beth, what are you doing tonight?"

"Well, I don't know.  Grissom asked me out tonight, saying something about Valentine's Day..."  
            "Right, sure he did.  Grissom couldn't ask anyone out if his life depended on it, let alone a beautiful young woman such as yourself."

"True, true."  She said with a smile.  "So what are you saying Greg?"

"Would you care to join me for dinner?  I'm cooking."

"Hey, if you're cooking, I'll brave hell or high water to be there.  Give me fifteen minutes."

"Sounds good.  See you soon."

"Bye Greg."

After Beth hung up, she threw on some loose jeans and a t-shirt that she thought was Greg's.  She had a habit of borrowing clean clothes from him when her dirty laundry enveloped her closet.  Everything else in her house was spotless, except that stupid closet.  She hated doing laundry and she only did it when absolutely necessary.  Beth looked nice in her casual, borrowed attire, but she didn't go the extra mile to make herself astonishing.  She knew that it was Valentine's Day, and she figured that Greg had planned something special for the two of them, but she didn't realize how special.  Wanting to spend as much time with Greg as possible and anxious to see what he had planned, she hurried down the stairs, grabbed her keys, jumped into her sandals, and almost fell out the door.  She ran down her walkway, virtually dove into her green Kia Cinco and flew to Greg's house.

*********************

When she pulled into his driveway, he was waiting at the door to greet her.  She stepped out of her car and tried to mask her curiosity and excitement by slowly walking up his stone pathway.  As she neared his front step, he opened the door for her and the sweet aroma of his cooking came out to greet her.  She always knew that Greg had the ability to cook and he often teased her because she couldn't cook a thing.  He took her hand and led her down the hall into the dining room.  When she turned the corner into the dining room, what she saw took her breath away.  Greg had prepared a steak dinner for two, complete with candles, roses, and romantic music playing in the background.  As she approached the small round table, he pulled her chair out for her and motioned for her to sit down.  When she sat, he gently pushed her chair in towards the table and took his seat across from her.  She was still breathless and Greg savored the moment.

"So, what do you think?"  He asked.

"Greg…it's wonderful."

"I've been thinking a lot about what the guys at work have been hinting at..."

"And…?"

"Beth, would you be my girlfriend?"

"You never were one to skirt an issue, were you Greg?"

At her comment, Greg's face began to beam.  She rose from the table, walked over to him and placed a kiss on his lips in answer to his question.  He smiled and relaxed.  He loved this woman, and now, he could truly express this to her.  She turned away from him to return to her seat, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him, standing in the process.  She turned to look at him, her face inches from his.  They locked eyes and stood motionless, captivated by each other's eyes.  Greg broke the moment by leaning in close towards her ear.

"Beth, I just want you to know that I love you, all the way down to my cellular level."  When Beth heard this, she started to laugh uncontrollably.

The rest of the dinner was fantastic.  Greg had prepared an excellent meal and the conversation that flowed over the table was that of two old friends.  She felt as though nothing had changed, yet she knew that something had.  In her heart, she had always known that he would ask her when the time was right.  They had always been just right for each other.  This was apparent even as early as her very first day of work.

*********************


	2. Flashback

Beth was fresh out of college and was looking for a job as a forensic chemist.  She applied to many different crime labs, the Las Vegas Crime Lab being one of them.   Most of them were eager to hire her.  With her Master's degree in chemistry, she could have worked anywhere, but there was something about Las Vegas that had always captivated her.  Maybe it was the fact that she grew up in New Hampshire, and her idea of a big city was slightly skewed.  She had never been to Las Vegas; she had only heard stories of it, or seen it on the television, but it was enough to make her fall in love with the city.  Another thing that drew her to Vegas was Gil Grissom, the night-shift supervisor at the crime lab.  He was a nationally known forensic investigator and had once been a guest speaker at her college.  So when she received a letter from him stating that she had a job on the LVCL night-shift waiting for her, she essentially dropped everything and moved out to Vegas. 

When she arrived at the crime lab for her first night of work, she felt out of place.  Everything about Beth screamed of a rural life, but here she was, working in Las Vegas.  She looked around her and saw people hurrying from room to room.  They were like bees in a hive, always moving from place to place.  She continued to observe her surroundings until a voice interrupted her thought.

"Can I help you Miss?"

The voice came from a young woman seated behind the front desk.  The woman had soft, naturally blonde hair, and appeared to be about the same age as Beth.  Beth awkwardly approached the front desk.

"Hello, my name is Beth Morstan-"

"Miss Morstan, it's a pleasure to meet you.  I had heard rumors of a new chemist, but I wasn't expecting someone as young as you.  My name is Mary Stevens and I'm one of the secretaries here.  I work the night-shifts, as you do, so you'll probably be seeing more of me."  Mary smiled, and Beth suddenly felt welcome in the bee's hive of the Las Vegas Crime Lab.   "Now, Miss Morstan-"

"Call me Beth."

"Now Beth, if you'll be so kind as to follow me, I will take you to Mr. Grissom's office.  He told me that he would be waiting for you there."

 The two chatted as they walked towards Mr. Grissom's office, but when they neared it, Mary dropped her voice out of respect for the man who they were about to interrupt.  Beth took the hint and finished her thought quietly.  Mary quietly knocked on a door that said "Gil Grissom" on it, and a familiar voice from inside mumbled something to the extent of, "Come on in."

Beth followed Mary into the room and they found the man sitting behind his desk, engrossed in a crossword puzzle.  Beth was speechless.  Gil Grissom was probably one of the best forensic investigators in the United States, and here he was, solving a crossword puzzle.  She was almost overcome by the urge to ask him for his autograph, but then she realized that she would be working with him.  She was so elated that she couldn't suppress the huge smile that beamed from her face.   

Mary spoke up, shattering the serene scene before them.  "Excuse me Mr. Grissom, but Miss Beth Morstan is here to see you."

At the sound of her voice, he looked up.  He had the same striking blue eyes, salt and pepper hair, and boyish face that she remembered from the guest lecture he gave at her college.  He smiled and stood to introduce himself as he extended his hand to greet her.  

"Hello.  My name is Gil Grissom, and welcome to the Las Vegas Crime Lab night-shift, Miss Morstan."

"Thank you.  It's nice to meet you Mr. Grissom.  I've heard quite a bit about you."

"I've heard quite a bit about you, too, Miss Morstan.  You graduated at the top of your class, and I had the pleasure of speaking with a few of your professors.  Dr. Schay and Dr. Clark are two of my good friends and they had nothing but the highest regards for you and your talent.  Oh, and you can call me Grissom.   The only people that call me Mr. Grissom are telemarketers.  And I never really cared for them."  

Beth didn't know what to say.  Dr. Schay and Dr. Clark were two of her chemistry professors and she had worked closely with them, but she never realized that they knew Gil Grissom personally.  Here she was, a novice, receiving praise from one of the greatest forensic scientists in the United States.  And he was telling her to forget the formalities!  She began to blush and he smiled.

"Well, at least we know she's human.  She blushes.  Now that I seem to have embarrassed you, let me show you around your new workplace." 

Grissom led her out of the room and down the hall.  As they passed various labs, rooms, and offices, he explained to her what the purpose of each room was or to whom the office belonged.  As they approached a room he called the break room, Beth noticed a small crowd inside.

"Excuse me Mr. Grissom, but if you don't mind my asking, who are those people in the break room?"

"Those are your co-workers.  Miss Morstan, allow me to introduce you the employees of the Las Vegas Crime Lab graveyard shift."  Grissom announced her as they entered the room.  "Ladies and gentlemen, meet Miss Beth Morstan."

Beth scanned the room and found two women and three men.  The first to approach her was an older, yet still beautiful, blond woman.  The woman stretched out her hand towards Beth.  

"Hi, my name is Catherine Willows.  Welcome to the Las Vegas Crime Lab."  Leaning in towards Beth's ear, she whispered, "If any of these guys give you a hard time, let me know."  Beth felt a laugh escape her lips as Catherine moved out of the way and a handsome young man approached.  He had short, brown hair, and was well-built.  She reached out her hand to shake his, but instead of shaking her hand, he raised it to his lips and kissed it.

"I'm Nick Stokes.  It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Morstan.  I hear you'll be working in the DNA lab with Greg.  If he ever gets on your nerves, let me know and I'll be more than happy to rescue you."  He spoke with a slight Southern drawl and she couldn't help but laugh at what he had said to her.

"Oh, that was smooth Mr. Stokes.  If you want to ask me out, I suggest you either do it straightforward, or not at all."  She winked at him as he started to blush.  Another attractive gentleman came to Nick's rescue.  He was a tall African-American man who walked with a slight swagger.  He radiated self-confidence.

"Hi, I'm Warrick Brown.  You'll have to excuse my buddy Nick here.  He's not used to having such a beautiful woman around the lab."

"I heard that Warrick," Catherine shouted from the back of the room.

"Now if you'll excuse me Beth, I need to go and work myself back onto Catherine's good side."  Beth started laughing as she watched Warrick shuffle up to Catherine and make a comic attempt to appease her wrath.  While Beth was observing the humorous interplay between Catherine and Warrick, a young brunette approached her.

"Hello, my name is Sara Sidle.  Welcome to the Crime Lab."  Beth was about to respond to her, but Sara walked away before she could say anything.  Beth got the impression that Sara did not do well with people.

The last person to approach Beth was an older gentleman.  He shook her hand firmly as he introduced himself.

"My name's Jim Brass.  I'm the homicide detective here.  If you need anything, let me know."

"Thank you, I will." Beth appreciated their efforts to make her feel welcome.  She knew that she was going to love working here.  

After a few minutes of conversation and brief bios, Grissom led Beth out of the break room to continue her tour of the crime lab.  

The tour ended outside of a lab filled with machines and instruments that she recognized.  She could feel a smile stretching across her face as she realized that this was where she would be working.

"Beth, this is where the DNA and Trace labs are located.  This will be your own personal corner of the Crime Lab.  There is only one hitch."

Beth groaned.  "I hate when there's strings attached."

"I think you'll like this string.  This lab has a current resident, and he will be your partner."  He opened the door and she entered the lab.  She was vaguely aware of Grissom's voice as she gazed around the room, marveling at the various machines and instruments.  She was brought back to reality when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Beth, did you hear a word I said?"  

She shook her head apologetically.  "I'm sorry Mr. Grissom, I mean, Grissom.  I've only read about some of these machines in magazines.  You'll have to excuse my drooling and apparent ignorance.  I was not trying to be rude."

Laughing, Grissom accepted her apology.  "As I was saying, you have a partner in this lab.  His name is Greg Sanders."  He turned to a young man her age who was sitting on a stool, staring at a computer screen, apparently in another world.  He had headphones on and was listening to some type of heavy metal music.  He must have the volume turned all the way up because she recognized the song and could have sung along if she had wanted.  Grissom lifted one of the headphones away from Greg's ear.  The young man jumped, almost falling off of his stool.  "Greg, this is your conscience.  You need to come back to planet Earth."  Beth laughed as Greg apologized over and over again.  "Relax Greg.  I just wanted to introduce you to your new partner."

There was a noticeable spark in Greg's eye as he extended his hand to greet her.  He was younger than the others she had met earlier, and she found him extremely attractive.  He seemed to be a very energetic and creative person, and she was very much looking forward to working with him.  

Grissom took the opportunity to introduce the two young chemists.  "Beth, this is Greg Sanders.  Greg, this is Beth Morstan."  She smiled and shook Greg's hand.  Grissom was feeling confident that his new recruit would learn the ropes quickly with Greg leading her, so he left the two chemists alone.  As he exited the DNA lab, he thought about the spark in Greg's eye.  Gil knew that something was bound to bloom between the two; it was only a matter of time.

When Gil was gone, Greg took a moment to check out his new partner.  As soon as she had shaken his hand, she quickly left him to look over the machines that made up the lab.  He watched her as she moved from instrument to instrument, adjusting herself to the different resources available to her.  He didn't realize he was staring until she spoke.

"Is there something wrong?  You seem to be staring."

"Oh…uh, sorry about that.  It's just that…Well…I'm not used to people…uh…"

"You're not used to people?  I don't think I'm following you."  Beth watched in amusement as Greg's face began to turn bright shades of red.  She was pleased to know that she had this effect on her cute co-worker.  She flashed her winning smile at him and he gathered his senses.  He straightened up and then did an over-exaggerated bow towards her.

"Pardon me for the unexpected detachment from reality.  I seem to have been flustered by your presence, yet at the same time, I am strangely thrilled by it.   Allow me to formally introduce myself.  My name is Greg Sanders, but to those here in the crime lab, I am known as the Master of the Lab.  For now, you are to be my side-kick.  If I approve of your work ethics and styles, I may decide to promote you."  

"Side-kick?  Who you calling side-kick?  In a few days, I plan to overrule your reign of terror over this poor helpless crime lab, my friend.  And when I do, you'll be lucky to be _my_ side-kick."  Beth used her wit to reply to Greg's unconventional apology and welcome, and she succeeded in making him laugh.  She knew that this was going to be a beautiful friendship.  Greg reminded her of herself.  He appeared to have the same sense of humor and outlook on life as she did.  They both found humor in the simplest things and enjoyed laughing.   Though she had only known him for a few minutes, she felt like she had known him for a few years.  She loved everything about him.  She loved his eccentric personality, charm, and even his wild hair.  She wanted to get to know him before she jumped to conclusions, but she couldn't help but think that he was the perfect guy.   

From that point on, the two chemists worked as the ultimate team.  What one missed, the other caught.  What one didn't understand, the other knew.  When one was tired, the other was raring to go.  Gil's choice in hiring Beth was reaffirmed every time he saw her working alongside Greg.  Gil knew that she wasn't the only qualified chemist yearning to work at the renowned Las Vegas crime lab, but he could tell that she was "the one."  She had the same enthusiasm as the rest of his team and she loved her work.  She put all of her effort into whatever task was at hand, and in doing so, she became the epicenter of a new wave of passion that rippled through the night-shift.

As the weeks went by, Gil realized how mature Beth was for a 24-year-old chemist fresh out of grad school.  She was the most trustworthy and caring person he had met in a long time.  The team also learned how open and willing to listen she really was.  Gil would occasionally walk by the break room and find Beth listening intently as one of her co-workers would share his or her deepest thoughts and concerns with her.  Sometimes these thoughts were related to a case, and sometimes they weren't.  Something about her brought the team closer together.  Gil even felt himself drawn to her compassion.  Once or twice when he needed to verbalize his innermost thoughts on a case, he verbalized them to Beth.

Nowhere was Beth's passionate persona more apparent than when she was working with Greg in the lab.  Any outsider would have chalked it up to the fact that they spent most of their working time stuck together in a relatively small lab, but the night-shifters knew better.  They could see what was happening.  Her youth, beauty, and enthusiasm had an effect on most of the people she met, but Greg seemed to be the central focus of all of her qualities.  They made a tremendous team, both during and after hours.  Even in the first few months they often ate meals together, went to the movies together, and had nights where they would just veg together.  In fact, one would have been hard-pressed to find one of them without the other.  Despite this, it took Greg almost four years to finally ask her to become his girlfriend.  But when he finally did, it was a match made in heaven.

*********************


	3. The Great Detective

When they finished their steak dinner, Beth stood up, picked up her dirty dishes, and brought them down the hall to the kitchen sink.  She began to clean them, but Greg quickly caught up to her and put his arms around her waist.  

"Excuse me Beth, but what do you think you're doing?"

"I thought I was cleaning my dirty dishes, but if you don't approve…"  Beth spoke with a smile in her eye.

"As King of the DNA lab, I don't approve, and I hereby make a royal decree that one, Beth Morstan, shall never do anything that may be remotely related to work in my house."

"I don't think you can claim your royal status as King of the DNA lab outside of the DNA lab.  I think it's kind of a territorial thing.  But I approve of your decree, and as Queen of the DNA lab, I ratify it…or whatever queens do."

He playfully dragged her away from the sink towards the couch.  They dropped onto the couch and before she knew it, they were cuddling together, watching one of her favorite movies, Never Been Kissed.  The excitement of the evening kept her from falling asleep, even though she was very tired.  When the movie finally ended, her exhaustion sank in.  Greg noticed just how tired she was and offered to drive her home.

"Hey Beth, would you like a ride home?  You look like you should return to the land of the living before you attempt to drive."

"Greg…" She mumbled something and proceeded to fall asleep on the couch.  Not wanting her to wake up with a backache, he picked up his Sleeping Beauty and carried her to his bed.  He placed her under the covers and tucked her in.  He kissed her forehead, whispered good night to her and made his way to his guest room where he collapsed onto the bed.  Within a few minutes, he had fallen asleep to thoughts of his beloved sleeping down the hall.

*********************

When they went to work the next night, they tried to act normal.  They had decided to see how long they could keep their newly developed relationship unnoticed.  It wasn't long.  About three hours into the shift, Grissom called the two chemists into his office.  He had them sit and asked them flat out if they were dating.  

"Are you two officially an item?"

They looked at each other and then smiled back at their supervisor.  It wasn't until then that he noticed that they were holding hands.

            Greg spoke.  "Yea, I asked her last night over dinner."

            Beth was on the edge of her seat as she spoke.  "You should have been there Grissom.  He made this awesome steak dinner, and he had the candles, and roses, and music-" 

            "Whoa Beth!  Slow down, and breathe.  I'm proud of you two.  Just make sure that you don't get all mushy on the job.  I need you guys to be at your best.  Can you handle that?"

            The chemists smiled and nodded their agreement.  "Hey, Grissom, would you mind not telling anyone yet?  We want to see how observant your CSIs really are."  Beth added the last comment as a referral to the subconscious, good-natured competition between the lab techs and the CSIs.

            "I suppose I can do that.  But I give them one day, two days tops before they all know.  And I promise I won't tell them anything.  I have the utmost confidence in my team."  He smiled as he dismissed the chemists and sent them back to their work.

            A few minutes after they had left, Beth returned to Grissom's office.  "Hey Grissom, I gotta know.  How did you know we were officially a couple?"

He simply replied, "I'm an investigator.  'It is my business to know what other people don't know.'"

"Is that Sherlock Holmes I hear?  Could it be that the meek and humble Mr. Gil Grissom is placing himself on the same plateau as The Great Detective?"

"Hey, what can I say?  'I have a turn both for observation and for deduction.'"

"Oh no, you didn't.  One quote is fine, but two quotes is over the edge.  This is where I call you on having an obsession."

"Now, wait a minute.  If I quote them, and you recognize them, wouldn't that make you just as guilty as me?"

Beth opened her mouth to say something, but caught herself before she could dig herself a deeper hole.  She simply shook her finger at him, smiled, and went back to her lab.

As Beth settled back into the lab, she thought about her conversation with Grissom.  Most of the CSIs had a hard time getting through Grissom's "shell."  They regarded him as incapable of emotion, an anti-social being content to remain alone in his corner of the world.  There were only two people that could truly get behind the wall that Gil had erected, and those two people were Beth and Greg.  Catherine was a very good friend of Gil's, but he still had a hard time sharing emotions with her.  Gil was a man with no immediate family, save his deaf mother, and he had a hard time with relationships.  But somehow, Beth and Greg had managed to get through his shell.  They looked at him as a father-figure, and he looked on them as the children that he never had.  Neither Beth nor Greg was fully aware of just how much they meant to Gil.

*********************

Later that week, Beth called Greg and invited him over for dinner.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Greg, I was wondering if you wanted to come over to my place for dinner tonight."

"Wait a minute…are you implying that you will be cooking dinner?  For me?   I don't know if I can handle that Beth.  Do I need to call in a hazmat team?"

"The hazmat team won't be necessary, Greg.  So are you coming or what?  The offer won't stand for too much longer."

"I'll be over in a few.  I wouldn't miss your cooking for the world."

Secretly, he wondered what she was planning since she had never really invited him over for dinner.  She never considered herself a cook and her idea of a home-cooked meal was showing up at his house or calling out for Chinese.  Nonetheless, he dressed himself in his favorite pair of khakis and a nice silk button-down shirt.  As he walked out to his car, his mind jumped from explanation to explanation as he tried to figure out what Beth was up to.  When he arrived at his Honda Civic, he still had no ideas as to what was going on, so he jumped in the driver's seat and drove over to her place, very excited to see what was in store. 

*********************


	4. French Cousine

When Greg arrived at her house, his mind was reeling.  Beth had never cooked a meal for him.  She had to be planning something.  He parked the car, stepped out, and took a moment to organize himself.  He found himself skipping steps as he ran up the stone stairs leading up to her front door.  When he reached the top, he rang the doorbell, and waited.  From somewhere deep within the house, he thought he heard a voice.  It was muffled, but he was able to make it out.

            "Come on in!  I'll be down in a few."

He opened the door and stepped inside, waiting for his hostess to show herself.  The smell of lavender and rain welcomed him before Beth even had a chance.  That was one thing he loved about her place.  The small house was always clean and smelled of lavender and rain.  

Her walls were painted various shades of blues and grays.  The solemnity of the color scheme was broken up by the framed Far Side cartoons that she had hanging in strategic locations.  She never ceased to amaze him.

His eyes drifted around the room until they came to rest on the staircase located directly in front of him.  The stairs led up to her bedroom and one of her two bathrooms.  He thought he heard footsteps somewhere up at the top of the stairs and he tried his best to see where they were coming from.  He fought the urge to go up and find her, and did his best to wait patiently.  A few moments passed and Beth showed herself.

She was wearing loose fitting khakis and a low cut, fitted red shirt that hung just off her shoulders.  Her hair was done up beautifully in a bun that rested on the back of her head, and she was wearing a pearl necklace and matching earrings.  She was beautiful, and he told her so.

"Beth, you look great.  But you didn't have to dress up for me."  Greg spoke with a hint of laughter in his voice.  The two of them had a sort of contest going.  They were always trying to get the other to laugh.  And most of the time, they succeeded.

"Now Greg, what makes you think I was dressing up for you?  I have a hot date who's supposed to be here any minute now."

Greg seized the moment.  He turned away from her and walked out through the front door.  A few seconds later, he burst in through the front door.    "Hey sexy, I heard you were waiting for me."

Beth couldn't help herself.  She tried so hard not to laugh, but it happened despite her efforts.  When she had finally regained her composure, she told Greg to follow her into the dining room.

He followed as she led the way, and when he saw the table, he started to smile.  She had set her small table like he had set his for their Valentine's Day meal.  She had two long-stemmed red roses beautifully set in a vase in the center of the table, and on either side of the vase, she had a lit candle for effect.  Soft music was playing in the background and as he soaked in the moment, he realized just how much he really loved her.  At both place settings on the table, there were silver covers that Greg could only assume hid the meal that he was about to share with her.

They sat down together and after a few minutes of idle chatter, she invited him to lift the cover off of his plate.  He thought he saw a hint of a smile in her sparkling brown eyes as she spoke, but he dismissed it, as she was usually finding humor in one thing or another.  When he lifted the silver cover, he burst out into laughter and fell out of his chair.  Her serious façade melted as she in turn began to laugh.  She asked him if he was okay and she was answered in the affirmative by more laughter.  When he was finally able to gather his senses, he sat back down at the table and began to eat with her.  Underneath all of the beautiful décor she had so carefully laid out, she had prepared him a meal of French toast and scrambled eggs.  

"Beth, may I ask you something?"

"Sure, go right ahead."

"Scrambled eggs and French toast?"

"Hey, you got a problem with my cooking?"

"No, no, there's no problem.  I was just curious, that's all."

"It was either French toast or bagels.  And I figured that French toast was a little more impressive than a bagel."

Greg started to laugh again.  "Beth, I think it's fantastic.  I would have been happy with a bagel, but this…this takes some real skill.  I don't think I could even make French toast look this good.  I'm really proud of you."

            Beth knew he was humoring her, but she couldn't help but smile as he complimented her French toast.

When they finished their meal, she stood up and turned the volume up on her stereo, the slow songs filling the room.  She pulled Greg out of his seat and invited him to dance with her.   He accepted the invitation and they began to dance.  All the while, Greg wondered what had prevented him from asking her.  He had fallen in love with her almost immediately and she had reciprocated his feelings the whole time.  Greg was simply glad he had finally asked her.  They didn't sleep at all that night.  They spent the night watching movies of all sorts: comedies, mysteries, and even some chick flicks.  They didn't stop watching movies until dawn broke.  And when it did, they climbed onto her roof and watched the sunrise together.

*********************


	5. The Secret's Out

A few days passed in the crime lab before their secret was exposed again.  Catherine called Beth out of the lab to discuss some test results with her.  When Beth had cleared up the apparent misunderstanding, she turned to leave.

"Hold on a minute Beth.  I have one more question for you."

"Okay, shoot."

"How long have you officially been going out with Greg?"

Beth found herself blushing as she responded to Cat's question.  "Well, at this point, it's been almost two weeks."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"You guys are investigators, right?  Greg and I wanted to see how sharp your skills of observation were.  And I'd have to say, I'm a little disappointed.  Grissom figured it out three hours into our first shift of being a couple."

Catherine couldn't help but smile.  Beth and Greg had gotten the best of her and the CSIs.  That was one more point for the lab techs.  "Has anyone else figured it out yet?"

"Not yet.  It's just you and Grissom.  But, could you please not tell anyone else?  We want to see how long it takes the rest of the team."

"You have my word.  Oh, and congratulations."

"Thanks."  And with that, Beth returned to the lab.

*********************

Jim had his eye on the DNA lab, and he noticed when Catherine had taken Beth out of the lab.  He seized the moment and headed over to the lab to do some interrogations of his own.

When Jim entered the lab, he closed the door behind him.  The sound of the door closing caught Greg's attention and he looked up to see who had derailed his train of thought.  He was surprised to see Brass standing with his back to the door.  And he was even more surprised when he saw the smile that stretched across Brass' face.

"Is there something you need Brass?"

"Just some information, that's all."

"Well, I don't have any DNA or trace evidence for you yet, sorry.  I'm a little backed up right now with my better half MIA."

"Greg, she's only been gone for five minutes."

"Yea, I know.  But it's been a pretty long five minutes."

"Actually, the information I was looking for has to do with you and Beth…"

Greg could see where this conversation was headed.  He knew that they had been found out yet again, and he confirmed Brass' thoughts.  "Wait, don't tell me."  He closed his eyes and started rubbing his temples in a methodical fashion.  "You're here to seek information about…Wait, I see a beautiful young lady…Her name is a little fuzzy…Bess maybe?  You want to know if she is dating a stunningly handsome young man…"  At this point, Greg opened his eyes and looked at the detective, who was grinning.  "Yes, I asked Beth out a few weeks ago, and it's official.  We're a couple."

"You could have just said 'yes' Greg."

"Yea, but it wouldn't have been as exciting."  Greg smiled.  "Oh, and if you could keep this our little secret, that would be cool.  We're trying to see how long it takes for the 'investigators' to uncover the truth."

"I get ya.  You're secret's good with me."  Satisfied with the information that he now held, Jim turned and left the lab.

*********************

A few more minutes passed before Beth rejoined Greg in the lab.  "Guess what Greg."

"Someone else knows?"

"Cat knows."

"And Brass knows, too."

"So the only people that don't know are Sara, Nick, and Warrick.  Do you think they'll ever find out?"

"Someone will tell them.  I can guarantee it."  Greg smiled as he thought about Grissom spreading the secret, so that the reputation of his CSIs wouldn't be tarnished further than it already was.  It had been about two weeks now, and they still didn't know.  Greg was beginning to feel that they would never figure it out on their own.

Greg's theory that Grissom would be the one to spread the news couldn't have been more wrong.  Catherine was the one who spread it.  Within ten minutes of Beth's encounter with the guilty party, the entire lab knew that the King and Queen of the DNA lab were officially an item.

Warrick was the first to come into the lab and harass the chemists.  "So, what took you so long Greg?  I was on the verge of asking her for you."

Greg laughed.  "I doubt that."

"Oh, you underestimate me my man.  You were the only one who didn't seem to realize that you two were just meant to be.  And besides, Nick had made a bet with me that you wouldn't hook up with Beth before St. Patrick's Day, and I couldn't let him win, again.  Where's the fun in that?"

"Oh, I see.  And how often have I been the subject of your bets with Nick?"

Nick who had been listening to the conversation from outside the door stuck his head in and answered the question.  "More times that you would believe."

Greg threw his hands up in the air in mock exasperation.  "Beth, can you believe this?  My own friends, betting against me.  No, not even against me…on me."

Beth started to laugh at the interplay between the men.

"Now hold on a minute there Beth, what makes you think that we've never bet on you before?"  A grin crept across Nick's face as he pointed this out.

Beth stopped laughing and all traces of humor vanished from her face.  "You wouldn't.  I know you wouldn't, because if you did, I would have to come over there and knock some sense into you."  Beth rose from her chair and walked right up to Nick.  She was only inches from his face, and he appeared genuinely scared for a moment.  She raised a fist to hit him and he flinched as she started to throw a punch at him. But just before she made contact with his arm, she put her arm around his shoulder and whispered into his ear, "Gotcha."  She then turned to Greg.  "And you thought he wouldn't flinch.  Now how much do you owe me?"

Greg knew that Beth was just playing with Nick's head, but he went along with it anyway.  "I believe that's twenty bucks I owe you."  Smiling, he reached into his lab coat and pulled out his wallet.  He pulled out a twenty and handed it to Beth.

Nick, knowing that he'd been had, laughed.  "Well, it looks like we've started a trend here, Warrick.  Our work here is done."  He turned to leave, but before he walked out the door, he congratulated Beth and Greg on finally hooking up.  Warrick took the cue from Nick and also headed out the door, but not before congratulating the couple.

*********************

            Beth and Greg lived relatively close to each other, so they would often drive to work together.  This day was no different.  It had been a few days since it had become apparent that everyone in the crime lab knew of Beth and Greg's dating status, and the couple arrived to work in Greg's silver Honda Civic.  When they walked through the door of the Las Vegas Crime Lab, they knew something was going on.  They heard muffled voices coming from the DNA lab.  Greg led the way as they slowly approached the lab that was their domain.  The lights were off, but there was movement in the lab.  Beth smiled as she realized what was going on.  She noticed that Greg was smiling, too.

            When they reached their destination, Greg opened the DNA lab door for Beth and allowed her to enter first.  As soon as she turned the light on, a shout arose from the poorly hidden crime lab employees.  

            "Surprise!"

            The lab had been decorated with colorful streamers and posters, and there was even a pair of wedding bells hung in one of the far corners.  One of the tables had been cleared and on it, there was a cake and various types of soda.  Beth smiled as she looked at the people in the lab.  There were people from both the day-shift and the night-shift.  In fact, just about everyone was there. 

            "You know, you guys would all make awful criminals.  Greg and I could hear you from the front door, and we saw you moving around.  But hey, I guess it's a good thing that you would make awful criminals…because that would make our jobs a lot easier."  She put her arm around Greg and pulled him into the lab.

            Grissom was the first to approach the couple.  "Hey, I just want you two to know that I had nothing to do with this.  I was dragged in at the last moment."          

            From somewhere in the back, they heard Catherine's voice, "Don't believe a word he says.  This whole thing was his idea." 

            "Oh, don't you try to pin this one on me Catherine.  I do believe that you're the one who plans all of the parties around here."

            Catherine made her way to the front.  "Guilty as charged."  She raised her hands to quiet the crowd.  When the crowd had finally quieted, she turned to Beth and Greg.  "On behalf of the Las Vegas Crime Lab, I would like to express our congratulations to you.  All of us here have been waiting so long; we didn't think you would ever ask her Greg."

            A wave of laughter rolled over the crowd.  The people began to mill about and refreshments were shared.  The party was brief since the night-shifters had to get to work and the day-shifters had to head home.  But Beth and Greg appreciated every minute that it lasted.

*********************


	6. Hesitation

It had been a month since Greg had asked her to become his girlfriend, and she had to admit, she loved every minute of it. But at the moment, her dirty clothes were at the forefront of her mind. The pile was so big that she couldn't see the floor of her closet anymore. So she finally decided that her mountain of dirty clothes needed to be washed. She turned on her stereo and the sounds of Hoobastank came through the speakers:

_I've found a reason for me_

_To change who I used to be_

_A reason to start over new_

_And the reason is you_

_And the reason is you_

She recognized the song as The Reason, and she started to sing as she settled in to sort out the colors from the whites.

She'd been working on the pile for roughly fifteen minutes when the phone rang. "Thank you God," she breathed. She jumped up from her seat amidst the clothes and dove across her bed to grab the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey beautiful." Beth smiled as soon as she heard the voice. It was Greg.

"Hey yourself. So what's up?"

"Well, I was going to ask you if you wanted to spend the evening with me."

"I don't know Greg; I was just doing my laundry. And you know how much of a project that is."

"Please?"

"Greg, if I don't finish this now, I may never get it done."

Greg was starting to worry that she might actually turn him down. That would be a disaster. He knew he should have asked her earlier. He'd been planning this particular evening for quite some time now. "Beth Morstan, look me in the eyes and tell me that you won't come."

"Um, Greg…Need I remind you that we're on the phone?"

"Well then, grab a picture of me, look it in the eye, and then say no."

Beth looked around the room and found a picture of Greg. The first picture she found was of Greg playing softball at the annual day-shift versus night-shift game. She didn't remember who had taken the picture, but it was a beautiful shot. She closed her eyes as the scene played out in her head. Greg was playing second base and she was playing first base. The photo was taken just after Greg dove to catch a ball. She was standing on first base with her glove outstretched, anticipating the throw from Greg that would get Conrad Ecklie, the day-shift supervisor, out for the double-play. Ecklie had taken a huge lead off of first base and was diving head-first to get back to the base so as to avoid the out. Ecklie didn't stand a chance against the dynamic duo, and he was out. The throw from Greg was beautiful and the double-play was made to end the inning, and the game. The night-shift won, 12-10. She smiled as she thought about the look on Ecklie's face when he realized he was out. This one moment in time, captured by the photo, said so much about them. They made a fantastic team in everything that they did.

"Beth…you still there?"

"Yea, I'm here. I was just thinking, reminiscing. How could I ever say no to you?"

It was as though a huge weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. He didn't know what he would have done if she had said no. He had something very special planned for their evening out. "I don't know, but you had me worried a bit."

"Worried…about what?"

"Well, I wanted to take you someplace really special tonight. So think formal attire, and I'll come by to pick you up at seven? "

"Okay…what's the occasion?"

"It's our one-month anniversary."

"Okay, sounds good to me. I'll see you at seven then."

"Cool. See you soon." Greg hung up and breathed a sigh of relief.

Beth had learned to trust Greg, so she hung up the phone and thought about what she could wear. She looked at her clock. It was 5:56, so she had about an hour to get herself ready to go. She took one look at her laundry, walked around it, and headed into her closet to see what she had to wear.

* * *

Greg took a deep breath and thought about how close he had come to total disaster. Too many people were involved with what he had planned. She couldn't just say no. But he didn't want to tell her anything because it was supposed to be a surprise. She seemed to have bought the one-month anniversary story, and he was glad for that. Now, hopefully, the rest of the evening would go according to plan. He didn't think he could handle anymore unexpected surprises. 

He ran a hand through his hair, and realized that he still had to get ready, too. He wasn't the type of guy who did formal occasions very often, so he thought about calling Nick for help, but he realized that Nick was probably getting himself ready. He forgot that he had invited everyone to come. So he resigned himself to the fact that he had to make himself presentable all on his own. He realized that this was a disaster in the making, but he had no choice. He'd planned everything out, but he'd forgotten about himself in the process. His mind was reeling as he headed toward the bathroom. He was actually nervous. Hoping that hot water would calm his nerves, he stepped into the shower and turned the hot water on.

* * *


	7. Curiouser and Curiouser

Forty-five minutes later, Greg left his house and headed out to his car. The hot water had done little to calm his nerves, but he thought he had done a pretty good job with the whole "formal" thing. He couldn't recall one instance where he had to wear a suit, or even a semblance of one. Before he got into the car, he did a once-over of himself in the reflection on the side of the car. He thought he looked sharp. He was proud of himself. He smiled as he stepped into the car and headed off to pick up Beth.

* * *

It was seven, and she was waiting on her porch swing for Greg to arrive. She had butterflies in her stomach, and she wasn't sure why. He had said tonight was to celebrate their one-month anniversary. But something in his voice betrayed his words. She couldn't place it, but she figured that he was hiding something.

Before she could sort through the myriad of things that Greg could have planned, she saw his silver Civic turning onto her road. She remained motionless, even as he parked his car. He beeped his horn at her and she laughed, slowly standing. She stepped down off of her porch and began to descend her stone stairs.

* * *

Greg was shocked speechless when he saw her step off the porch. He stepped out of his car to get a better look at her. She was dressed in a deep blue satin gown that flowed down to the ground. The dress had thin shoulder straps that seemed to glitter in the setting sunlight. Her wavy brown hair was down around her shoulders, gracefully framing her face. In the four years he had known her, it was the first time he could recall seeing her with her hair down. She was wearing silver studs in her ears and a small silver chain around her neck. As she neared the bottom of the steps, he took her hand and led her over to the passenger side of the car where he opened the door for her.

* * *

When Beth came down her porch steps and saw Greg get out of his car, she was immediately stuck by how handsome he was. He was wearing a black suit coat and pants with a white button-down shirt underneath his suit coat. It was the first time she had seen him in a suit and she was amazed by how well it fit him. As she scanned his attire, she couldn't help but giggle when she saw the tie that Greg had decided to wear with his suit. The tie was red silk with thin diagonal black stripes. The chemical structure of a water molecule decorated the bottom of the tie. She knew that it was his favorite tie, so she let him wear it. His hair was spiked, as usual, but he had done something different with it tonight, and she thought it looked more attractive than usual. When she approached him, he led her to the passenger's side of his car where he opened the door for her. He closed the door when she sat down and returned to the driver's side. After he got himself situated in his seat, he started the car and backed down the driveway.

"So, Greg. Where are we going?"

"We're going to The Cascade to celebrate our one-month anniversary."

"The Cascade? I've heard that is one of the nicest restaurants in Vegas."

"Well, you're worth it."

"Brownie points!" Beth's smile stretched from ear to ear and she leaned over to place a kiss on his cheek.

Greg had smoothed another unexpected wrinkle in the plan. He was glad that she was content with his answers. He didn't know how he would have handled her interrogation. He kept her engaged in idle chatter so that she wouldn't have time to doubt his words.

* * *

When they arrived at The Cascade, parking was a nightmare. Greg had to drive around the lot three times before he found a spot. And the spot that he finally found was about as far from the restaurant as humanly possible. He parked the car and he and Beth stepped out. As they headed towards their destination, Greg spoke. "I think that's The Cascade I see way over yonder, but it's so small, I can't be sure."

"Wow Greg, you really parked in the middle of nowhere."

"Yea, sorry about that." A smile spread across Greg's face as a thought took root in his mind. "I'll race you…" Before he even finished the thought, he broke into a dead run towards the restaurant. Beth almost died laughing. Greg had seemingly forgotten that he was wearing a suit. She had to lean against one of the cars parked nearby or she would have fallen over. Luckily the car had no alarm. She took a glance at the vehicle she was leaning on, and was surprised to find that she recognized it. She stopped laughing. She couldn't be sure, but she thought it was one of the CSI Tahoes. She reprimanded herself as she thought about how many Tahoes there must be in Vegas. And even if it did belong to one of the CSIs, they did have the right to eat at a nice restaurant. She gathered herself and walked on to catch up with Greg, who had apparently remembered that he had a suit on and had stopped running.

When she was once again by her side, she asked, "What was that all about?"

"I'm not really sure. My inner child took over and I couldn't resist." He flashed his cutest smile at her, knowing that she couldn't resist.

"That's cheating. That smile is like my Kryptonite and you know it."

"What are you talking about?" Greg tried to play the innocent victim, but he wasn't doing too great a job.

"You…" She squinted her eyes and waved her finger at him. It wasn't long before they were both laughing. The long walk to the restaurant ended up being not so long.


	8. Surprise

The Cascade was a five-star restaurant that occupied the top floor of a five-star hotel. The only way to be seated in The Cascade was to make reservations, and sometimes these had to be made weeks in advance. The Cascade had a modern atmosphere to it. This was partly because of the dance floor that was located off to the side. Right behind the dance floor was the reason the restaurant was called "The Cascade." There was a beautifully lit twelve foot waterfall that created a serene environment. Beth had never been to The Cascade, but she had heard only good things about it, and she was very excited to spend the evening here with Greg.

When they entered the building, Greg led her towards an elevator. Greg took her to the top floor, and when the door opened, Beth was astounded. The restaurant was beautiful. The color scheme was made up of earth tones so as to complement the beauty of the waterfall. Everything was clean and neat, and every table was filled. While Beth observed her surroundings, Greg gave the hostess his name.

"There you are Mr. Sanders. Now if you would please follow me, I will show you to your table." Greg gently took Beth's arm as he followed the hostess to their table. He was still nervous, yet very excited. He had requested a certain table and was very glad to see that his request had been honored. The hostess led them to a small table positioned near a window. Greg watched as Beth took her seat and glanced out the window.

What Beth saw was the whole of Las Vegas. The lights seemed to be fighting wars with each other to see who could be the best and the brightest. She saw many hotels and casinos that she recognized, but they looked so different from her window seat. For a full minute, all she could do was stare out the window over the City of Lights. When she finally tore her eyes away from the beautiful sight, she turned to Greg. All she could say was, "Wow."

"I thought that was what you would say."

"Greg, this is beautiful."

"The company adds to the beauty."

A tear slid down Beth's face as she realized how much Greg loved her and cared for her. They sat in a reverent silence for a few minutes. Then Greg shattered the moment by pointing out that they needed to order soon, if they ever wanted to eat. She laughed a little when she realized that what had prompted him to speak was the growling of her stomach.

"Alright, if you insist, we'll order." They looked over their menus for a few minutes, trying to decide what they wanted to eat. Just as they were making their final decisions, the waitress came to take their order.

"Have you two decided on what you would like to order?"

Greg answered her first. "Yes, we have. I would like the steak dinner, cooked medium well."

"And to drink?"

"Oh, water is fine, thank you."

"Okay." She finished writing his order before she turned to Beth. "And what would you like?"

"I think I'm going to have the alfredo shrimp. And I'll have water to drink."

"Okay, your orders will be out in about half an hour."

Greg thanked her before she turned to leave.

"Half an hour? I don't know if I can wait that long."

"You will make it Beth, I know you can. And besides, the food here is worth the wait."

Beth and Greg settled into their seats and began to talk about the lab, Vegas, and various other things. Their conversation drifted from subject to subject as their meals arrived and they proceeded to eat.

"This food is excellent," Beth pointed out after she had finished her first bite. "You know, I'd even go so far as to say that it might be better than your cooking."

"That cuts deep." Greg put his hand over his heart and acted as though he had been shot. "But I agree with you. This food is excellent."

Their conversation continued to drift as they ate. And when they were done eating, Greg invited Beth onto the dance floor. She followed him as he took her hand and guided her to the section of the restaurant that housed both the dance floor and the waterfall. When they arrived, Greg requested a few slow songs and began to dance with his beloved. They danced in a silence that was a testimony to their love for each other.

Halfway through the third song, Greg dropped something to the floor behind Beth. He knelt down to pick it up before she could see what it was. When he had retrieved the item, he remained kneeling.

He looked up at her and smiled. "Beth, will you marry me?" He showed her what he had dropped. It was a small box, and it contained the most beautiful diamond ring she had ever seen. With tears in her eyes, she held out her hand and Greg placed the ring on her finger.

"Yes!" she proclaimed excitedly.


	9. The Dance

When he stood, she threw her arms around him and kissed him with a passion and intensity that startled him for a split second. He quickly returned the kiss with the same fervor she had. She was so caught up in the moment that she was only remotely aware that the entire restaurant erupted into applause. The kiss lasted until she broke it to breathe. She looked deep into he brown eyes and saw nothing but love for her.

As the background came into focus, she noticed the CSIs approaching. Both the day and the night-shift were there, expressing their congratulations, and every one of them was genuinely excited for the young couple. Beth scanned the crowd looking for a particular face, but was disappointed when she couldn't find it. Everyone was there except for Grissom.

"Greg, I see everyone here, except for Grissom. Do you know why he's not here?" But even as she was whispering to her fiancé, she found who she was looking for. Grissom had hid himself among the crowd. She excused herself from Greg's arm, and headed over to her good friend. When she approached him, she knew why he had remained in the back. His eyes were red, as though he had been crying. He must have seen her coming, because he turned his head and wiped his eyes. "Grissom, are you okay?"

"Yes. I'm fine."

"You were crying."

Grissom sighed. "You and Greg are like the children that I never had. Did you know that he asked me if he could propose to you? He asked _me_. He told me that he had asked your parents and they approved, but he said that he wouldn't have felt right without asking me, too. Beth, what did I ever do to deserve you two?"

"Gil, you didn't _do_ anything. I think you just put too much pressure on yourself. But that's for another day. Don't question why or how life happens, just be glad that it does."

"I believe that I'm rubbing off on you."

"Why do you say that?"

"I'm usually the one who uses the seemingly paradoxical words of wisdom."

"Yea, I guess that would be you." Beth smiled. The smile quickly faded as a thought took root in her mind. "Oh, Grissom, can you wait here for just a minute?"

"Sure." Even as he said it, Beth was turning to leave. He watched her as she walked towards Greg. He found himself thinking that the two were perfect for each other. When she approached him, she took hold of his hand. He turned his head to her, and she whispered something in his ear to which he nodded, smiling. She then turned to walk back towards Grissom, letting go of Greg's hand only when she had walked a few steps away from him.

Grissom was brought back to reality when he heard Beth's voice. "Gil Grissom, would you care to dance?"

"Beth, I'm not a very good dancer..."

Beth took Grissom's hand and led him onto the dance floor. A song she didn't recognize began to play and she began to slow dance with the man who could easily have been her father. People cleared off of the dance floor when they saw the two dancing. Only those on the night-shift knew the utter significance of this moment, but others seemed to catch on quickly. A silence fell over the restaurant as the people watched the two dance.

They danced in a silence that spoke volumes. She knew how much he loved them, and she wanted so much to help him see how much they loved him.

The song finally came to an end and she kissed him on the cheek. She told him that no matter what, she would she would always be there for him. He hugged her, and without saying anything, he turned to leave. But before he left, a thought entered her head. "Grissom, I want you to come over to Greg's house for an informal celebration of our engagement. Will you come?"

"Beth, I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Then I'll see you at Greg's house in about half an hour or so?"

"I'll be there." He then turned to leave so that she wouldn't see the tears that now began to flow freely from his eyes. She let him go, knowing that he needed time to gather himself.

She watched him leave, and when he was out of her sight, she returned to Greg's side. She joined him in his conversation, and nearly forgot about her invitation to Gil. She didn't remember until about ten minutes had passed. "Greg, I almost forgot! I invited Grissom over to your house for an informal engagement celebration. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. In fact, let's invite everyone over. What time did you tell Grissom to be there?"

"Well, I told him half an hour, but that was about fifteen minutes ago."

"Okay." He excused himself from the conversation, and addressed the small crowd of people. "I just want to let you all know that there will be a party at my house in about fifteen minutes. If you're lucky enough and/or you promise to get us good gifts at the wedding, I might cook for you tonight."

"Hey, I've heard nothing but good things about your cooking Greg. I'm there." The voice was unmistakably that of Jim Brass, and everyone laughed.

"Anyone who doesn't know how to get to my place can follow Beth and me. We'll be leaving shortly."

Greg paid for the meal as Beth picked up their things. They met in the front lobby where a small crowd had gathered. "So who here is following me?" Greg asked. A few people raised their hands. "Alright, let's get outta here."


	10. Anxiety

The drive to Greg's house was relatively short, and everyone had an easy time getting there. A few of the night-shifters had left before Greg, and had beaten him home. They were milling about on the front lawn, waiting for the dynamic duo to arrive.

Greg pulled into his driveway and parked the car. Before he and Beth got out of the car, they sat for a few moments in silence. Beth was the first to speak. "It's been a pretty big night, hasn't it?"

"Yea, I guess you could say that."

"You know what?"

"What?"

"I'm actually looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I'm just kidding, you know I love you." Beth smiled at her fiancé, then leaned over and kissed him. Then she stepped out of the car and Greg followed suit. The two walked up the stone pathway, hand in hand. Their guests began to shout and holler as the couple approached them. Beth raised her hands to motion for silence. It was a few moments before the crowd quieted down, and when they did, she made an announcement. "Excuse me people; I have an announcement to make. Some of you may fall in love with Greg's cooking tonight, and I'm okay with that. But don't expect to be coming over every night for a good, home-cooked meal because as soon as we get married, he only cooks for me." Their guests burst into laughter when they heard Beth's announcement, and while they were laughing, she and Greg led the way into the house.

Once inside, the couple changed out of their formal attire and into clothes that were comfortable. Beth changed into black sweat pants and a t-shirt and Greg put on jeans and one of his infamous Hawaiian button-down t-shirts. After they had changed, they went out and began to welcome people. After a few minutes of chatting, Greg excused himself so that he could go prepare something to eat. Beth continued her rounds, making a point to talk to everyone who had shown up.

It wasn't long before Beth realized that someone was missing. She headed into the kitchen where she found Greg preparing various food items. "Honey, you haven't seen Grissom by any chance, have you?"

"He's not out there?"

"No, and I'm a little worried, Greg. I know that he doesn't do parties, but I have this awful feeling. When I invited him over, he said he wouldn't miss it for the world. And I've never known Grissom to miss something this big. You don't think something has happened to him, do you?"

"Before you get yourself all worked up, why don't you call him."

"Good idea. I knew there was a reason I was marrying you."

Beth grabbed the cordless phone and headed into Greg's guest room so that she could have a little bit of privacy. She sat on the bed and dialed Grissom's number by heart. The phone rang once, twice, three times. By the sixth ring, she was getting nervous. She heard Grissom's voice, and a feeling of relief washed over her, until she realized that it was his answering machine. The gnawing feeling in her stomach only got worse. She called again, just to make sure, but there was still no answer. She slowly stood up and took the phone back to its cradle. "Greg, there was no answer. I'm going to give him about fifteen minutes, in case he's on his way over, but if he doesn't show, I'm going over to his place to see what's up."

"Sounds fair enough."

Beth went back to mingle with the crowd, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. She knew how much Grissom cared for her and Greg, and she knew that he had meant what he said. Something big had to be keeping him from being at their party.

Time seemed to move in slow motion. Fifteen minutes seemed like forever. When the fifteen minutes had finally passed and Grissom didn't show up, she excused herself from the conversation she was having with Warrick and Nick and headed into the kitchen. "Greg, it's been fifteen minutes, and he's still not here."

"Okay, if you must go, then at least take the cell phone with you."

"Okay, I'll call you when I find out what's up."

Greg reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys. Tossing them to her he said, "You be careful."

Beth left the kitchen and made a brief announcement to the crowd. "Guys, I just want you to know that I have to step out for a minute or two, but I will be back shortly." There were a few moans, but she was out the door before anyone could ask her where she was going.


	11. A Dark House

Beth made it to Grissom's townhouse in record time. When she pulled into his driveway, she noticed that his townhouse was dark. There was not a single light on in the whole structure. Beth hoped beyond all hope that he was on his way over to Greg's house, but something in her gut told her that he wasn't. She knew that there was one way to find out. She exhaled the breath that she had been holding, and exited the car. She walked over to Grissom's garage and peaked through the window. What she saw made the butterflies in her stomach worse. She saw Grissom's Tahoe parked in the garage, mocking her. A thought flitted across her mind and was just as quickly dismissed. Maybe Grissom had gotten a ride with someone else? No, everyone else was at the party. A wave of nausea rolled over her, as she headed toward the front door. She knew something was wrong, but she had no idea what it could possibly be. Thoughts flew through her head. Had anyone written any threatening letters to Grissom lately? She didn't have to think about that too long. Every criminal within a ten mile radius of the Las Vegas Crime Lab hated Dr. Gil Grissom. They didn't have to write any threatening letters.

Beth quickened her pace until she reached the front door and stopped dead in her tracks. His door was open. Grissom was too highly organized a man to just leave his door open. She pushed the door open slowly. "Grissom?" There was no response. She tried again. "Grissom, are you home?" Again, there was no answer. She decided that she should call Greg before she went in. She pulled out the cell phone and dialed his number.

"Hello?"

"Greg, it's me."

He could tell from the sound of her voice that something was wrong. "Beth, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

"It's Grissom. His car is here, but all of the lights are off and his front door is open. I'm nervous Greg."

"Okay, I'll be over in twenty minutes. Just be careful. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I'll be fine, just get here as soon as you can."

"I'm out the door now."

"Thanks Greg."

"I love you Beth."

"I love you too, Greg." She hung up the cell phone, put it in her pocket and stepped into the darkness that had enveloped Grissom's home. She flicked the light switch that was closest to the door, but nothing happened. A chill went down Beth's spine. She called out Grissom's name again as she stepped further into his home. There was still no answer.

When she turned the corner into the living room, all of her fears were confirmed. She saw Grissom lying on the floor, unconscious. His hands and feet were bound with rope and there was duct tape over his mouth. She rushed to her mentor's side. She pulled out her cell phone to call 911, but was interrupted.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." The voice belonged to a man. She turned to look at the man who had invaded Grissom's home and life. He was sitting on the stairs that led up to the second floor. He could not be seen from the front door as he sat there, but he had apparently watched her as she made her way through the house. He was a tall, muscular man with dark hair and even darker eyes. He had a cool and collected demeanor about him that made Beth sick. Suddenly, all of her fear was gone, and only anger, disgust and hatred were left in its place.

"Who the hell are you?"

"That's unimportant at this time-"

"What do you mean unimportant? What the hell are you doing here?"

"You ask too many questions." With that said, he pulled out a Glock 36 and aimed it directly at her head. "Now I suggest you sit down beside Grissom and shut up."

She had no choice but to obey his commands. She thought it was odd that he knew Grissom's name. She decided that he was a criminal that had been convicted by evidence that Grissom had presented in court. Grissom had made many enemies that way. She reluctantly sat on the floor beside Grissom, as she had been instructed. The man came up behind her and proceeded to tie her hands and feet. She struggled against him, but he was too strong for her. When he had her hands and feet bound, he placed a strip of duct tape over her mouth and returned to his roost on the stairs. She sat on the floor helpless, knowing that Greg would arrive in minutes and would walk right into this madman's trap. To keep her mind off of what was going to happen, she focused her energy on the ropes and trying to loosen them. She struggled against them in every way possible.

Roughly five minutes passed before she heard a noise outside. She had been vigorously working on the ropes and had succeeded in loosening them a little. The noise had been a car pulling into the driveway. Her mind reeled when she realized who it was that had pulled up. Greg had just arrived. She tried to scream out, but there was no sound. The man chuckled quietly as he watched Beth struggle.

"Beth? Grissom? Are you guys here?"

Beth began to cry when she heard his voice. She knew that he would not be able to see the man until it was too late. He had no idea what he was stepping into.


	12. Rayford Steele

Greg stepped through the door, calling out for his fiancée and friend. "Beth? Grissom? Are you guys here?" He reached out to flick the light switch. When it didn't turn on the first time, he flicked it again. The room remained in darkness, but it suddenly felt very cold. He took a deep breath to try and steady himself. He was nervous for Beth's and Grissom's safety. He called out again, louder this time, but there was still no answer. He cautiously walked further into the house. Upon entering the living room, his heart skipped a beat. He found Beth struggling on the floor, bound and gagged, with tears in her eyes. Next to her was Grissom. He appeared to be unconscious. Greg prayed a silent prayer that he was okay. He took a step towards Beth, until he noticed that she was jerking her head towards something that was behind him. He turned around slowly to find a man sitting on the stairs with a gun aimed at his head. The man was tall, muscular, and appeared to be in his thirties.

The man stood slowly, and walked towards his captives. "Hello Greg. Why don't you have a seat?" Greg was startled by the fact that this man knew his name. He ignored the command and thought for a moment. Ideas flew though his mind as he tried to find a way to diffuse the situation. Greg decided that he would try talking to the man.

He tried to void his voice of all emotions as he spoke. "Who are you? And what do you want with us?"

The man smirked. "My name is Rayford Steele and you three took something from me that meant more than the world to me. You convicted my little brother of a crime that he didn't commit. You had him sent to death row!" As Steele spoke, his manner ranged from cool and collected to psychopathic and dangerous. He was now seething, and still aiming the gun at Greg's head. Greg did not like the way the situation was headed. He thought about the name Steele, and it came to him. The case had been open and closed. It was a double homicide and there had been DNA evidence linking Steven Steele, Rayford's 23 year-old-brother, to the murders. His stomach turned when he realized that he and Beth had been the lab technicians that had analyzed the evidence, and that Grissom had been the one to present the evidence in court. "You had my little brother killed, and there was nothing I could do about it." Greg looked at Steele's face and saw animal-like eyes peering out at him.

Steven's case had been closed over three years ago, and he had been on death row for less than a month before his life ended via lethal injection. This had left Steele plenty of time to plan his revenge. "I've been watching you three very closely for a few years now, waiting for the perfect moment. It finally came. The proposal and engagement party…What could be a more exciting time? And since you three took something so dear to me, I plan on taking something dear to you. Now Greg, I suggest you sit down."

Greg had no option but to obey. He sat beside Beth and did his best to be strong. Steele headed over to where Greg had sat down, and a thought formed in Greg's mind. He knew that Steele needed to put down the gun if he was to tie his hands, so he waited until he felt the rope touch his skin. As soon as it did, he turned and lunged at Steele. Greg managed to get one swift blow to the man's jaw before the gun was returned to the equation. Steele picked up the gun and shot Greg without hesitation.

Greg fell to the ground holding his left shoulder. The pain was excruciating. He looked at his wound and started to panic when he realized how heavily he was bleeding. The bullet had apparently pierced the left subclavian artery. He put as much pressure as he could on his wound, hoping that he could slow, if not stop, the bleeding. He tried his best to keep his breathing steady but it was harder than it seemed. He tried to focus on something, anything, other than his shoulder, but the pain was just too much. He could only lie on the floor, helpless.

* * *

The scene happened in slow motion. Beth had listened to Steele, and as she listened, she remembered the case of which he spoke. She remembered Steven and the DNA evidence that had convicted him. As Steele's unstable state of mind became more and more apparent, fear overwhelmed her. She wanted to be back at Greg's house with all of her friends. She wanted Greg and Grissom to be by her side as they all ate Greg's wonderful cooking. Motion caught her eye, and she realized that Greg had sat on the floor beside her. She watched as Steele approached Greg in order to tie his hands. As soon as the man had put his gun down, Greg turned and hit him. The struggle was brief, ending with the piercing sound of a gunshot. Beth tried to scream as Greg fell to the floor, but again, there was no sound. The bullet had been a through-and-through, lodging itself in the wall behind Greg. She cried fresh tears as she saw the crimson stain on his shirt grow larger and larger with each precious second. Beth watched helplessly as Greg lay on the floor, trying to slow the bleeding.

She struggled furiously against her ropes, trying desperately to free herself so that she could help her friend. She had forgotten about Steele. After the struggle, he had remained on the floor, nursing his jaw. Finally, he stood. He walked over to a chair on the opposite side of the room, passing Greg in the process. As he walked by the bleeding man, he kicked him in the stomach.

* * *

Stars sparkled across Greg's vision when Steele kicked him. The air rushed out of his lungs, and the pain intensified. He didn't know how much longer he could hold out. He tried to focus on Beth and how much he loved her. They still had their whole lives ahead of them. They were supposed to get married. They were supposed to start a family. They were supposed to get a dog. He had to live. These thoughts kept him alive as he continued to bleed. 


	13. Shots Fired

Beth watched as Steele sat in the chair. On his face was a smile that could only be described as pure evil. He was actually enjoying the severe pain that Greg was suffering. Beth wanted to kill this man for what he had done to her best friend. With tears streaming down her face, she continued to struggle against the ropes. She had loosened them slightly, with her previous efforts, and now the slack was increasing. She knew that the only hope they had of surviving was in her ability to free her hands. Greg was fading fast, and would not be able to help, and Grissom was still unconscious beside her. As she continued to struggle, a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Well Beth, it looks like it's just you and me now, and I'm not done yet. Although you and Greg were the ones who examined the evidence, Grissom here was the one who presented it. Grissom is the one responsible for the death of the only person I ever cared for. And for that, I want him to suffer the most. I want him to watch as the only people that he's ever cared for die, right in front of his face." With that, he arose from his seat, and pulled a syringe out of his pocket. He placed the needle in Grissom's arm and emptied the syringe. Within a few moments, Grissom stirred.

* * *

Grissom felt as if he had awoken from a dream. He remembered The Cascade and Greg's proposal. He also remembered dancing with Beth, one of two people who could see right through the walls he had built. He loved her and Greg and was very happy for them and the turn that their lives had taken together. He remembered the invitation to the engagement party and how much he had wanted to be there. He had just needed to go home to pick up a few things, and then he was going to head over to Greg's house. He had arrived home in good time, elated with the thoughts of Beth and Greg's engagement. Suddenly, the dream had turned into a vicious nightmare. He was surprised to find his front door unlocked. He always locked it. He had opened the door slowly. "Hello? Is anyone in there?" There had been no answer, and he had cautiously stepped in his home. Out of nowhere, a man had jumped him, knocking him the floor. He tried to struggle, but the man was very strong and had gotten the upper hand when he surprised Grissom. He had felt a prick in his right arm and realized that he had been stabbed with a needle of some sort. His mind was reeling with thoughts of his attacker and what he wanted. The room was dark, but it soon became much darker. Shapes that he recognized began to blur and finally fade away. His mind soon stopped reeling as he had succumbed to the darkness overtaking his vision.

As he awoke, he looked around and soon realized that his nightmare had not been a nightmare at all. He was lying on the floor with his hands and feet tied and with duct tape over his mouth. Beth was lying next to him with her hands and feet bound, as well. She was crying, and he soon realized why she was crying. He saw Greg lying on the floor a few feet away from Beth. He had been shot and was bleeding heavily. The young man had been trying to slow the bleeding, but wasn't having much success. The pool of blood beneath him was growing. Grissom's breath caught in his throat. He tore his eyes away from Greg, only to find the man who had attacked them. The man was holding a gun. Grissom was still trying to comprehend the scene when the man spoke.

"I'm sure you remember me Grissom. You had my brother, Steven Steele, sent to death row. You killed my brother, the only person I ever loved!" The man was shouting and waving the gun around. Grissom suddenly felt the urge to vomit, but he suppressed it. The man continued his tirade. "And now I'm going to slowly kill the only two people who you ever loved. Say good-bye, Grissom."

Grissom watched in horror as Steele slowly raised his gun and aimed it at Beth. He wasn't aiming at her head; instead, he was aiming at her leg. He pulled the trigger and shot Beth. Grissom tried to shout, but the duct tape wouldn't allow it. Grissom couldn't tear his eyes away from the scene. Beth had been shot in her upper right thigh. She had been shot through the femoral artery and she began to loose blood at an alarming rate. He struggled at the ropes that bound him, but to no avail. He could only watch as Beth suffered. He suddenly heard a noise that sent chills down his spine. He heard laughter. Steele was laughing. Grissom turned his head so that he could see the man. When he did, he saw that the man had the gun aimed at his own head. He was laughing at the two bleeding chemists on the floor. He was laughing at Grissom for having to watch helplessly. He was laughing at the world and all of the intolerable injustices in it. The laughter ended abruptly as the man pulled the trigger and fell to the floor in a heap, dead.


	14. A Ray of Hope

Grissom was all alone in the room.  Greg was lying very still on the floor, but Grissom could see that he was still breathing.  His chest was rising and falling, but the breathing seemed shallow.  Greg's bleeding had slowed, but he was definitely still bleeding. Beth was in agony, but she was still struggling against the ropes.  As he watched her, she stopped struggling.  He feared for a moment that she might be succumbing to the pain, until she slowly pulled her hands out from behind her back.  She had somehow managed to free both of her hands.  With one hand, she applied pressure to her wound, and with the other hand, she pulled the duct tape off of her mouth.  She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a cell phone.  She pressed a single button and placed the phone to her ear.

*********************

Beth was in severe pain.  There were white spots of light dancing across her vision, and she tried desperately to ignore them.  She had to free her hands.  She had to get the cell phone out of her pocket and call for help.  Their survival rested on her shoulders.  She continued working the rope despite the intense pain in her thigh.  She suddenly felt the rope go entirely slack.  She had been successful.  She moved one hand over her wound and applied as much pressure as she could.  With the other, she peeled the duct tape away from her mouth.  When the tape was off, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the cell phone.  She had Greg's number on speed dial, and she needed help quickly.  She knew that if she called 911, they would tell her to stay on the line.  She couldn't afford to stay on the line; she needed her free hands to help untie Grissom.  She pressed the button for Greg's house, hoping that someone would answer the phone.  The phone rang three painstakingly slow rings before anyone picked up.

"Hello?"  The voice was Cat's.  Out of all the people at Greg's house, Cat was the one who would work the fastest to help them.  She was a mother and cared for everyone on the team as if they were her own family.

"Cat…"  Beth spoke slowly, the pain interfering with her thought processes.  Her breathing became rapid as her body went into shock.

"Oh my god!  Beth, is that you?  Are you alright?"

"Cat…I'm not okay.  Greg and I…we've been shot…We need help."

"My god, where are you?  Did you call 911?"

"No…I need to help the others…we're at Grissom's townhouse."

"I'll call 911 and be there in five minutes.  Are you-" Beth hung up the cell phone before Cat could continue asking questions.  She dropped the phone to the floor and dragged herself over to Grissom's side, still holding one hand over her leg.  She moved slowly and painfully, losing more and more precious blood with every movement.

When she finally reached Grissom, he had moved so that his back was facing her, making his hands more accessible to her.  She pulled her bloodied hand away from her leg and began to untie Grissom's ropes.  She worked as fast as she could, but the pain and blood loss were taking their toll on her.  It took her a few minutes to untie the ropes, and when the ropes finally fell from his hands, she relaxed.  The burden of their safety was no longer on her shoulders; it was now on Grissom's.  She propped herself on the nearby couch and returned to putting pressure on her wound.

*********************

As soon as he felt the ropes fall away, Grissom leapt up, ripping the duct tape away from his mouth in the process.  He looked at Beth, making sure that she could hold her own for now, and he ran to Greg's side.  The young man lay on his stomach, barely conscious.  

"Greg, Greg, don't leave me bud.  I need you to stay here with me."  Grissom had tears in his eyes as he pleaded with Greg.

*********************

Greg's eyelids fluttered as he tried to register what had been said to him.  He wasn't sure of where he was anymore.  He only knew that a welcome darkness was beginning to overtake his field of vision.  He closed his eyes and was about to give in to the darkness, when he heard the voice again.

"Greg, stay with me.  I need you to live.  Beth needs you to live."  Beth…the name sounded familiar.  He wasn't sure who she was, but somehow he knew that she was important.  He opened his eyes slightly, trying to see where the voice was coming from.  He saw a face, and after a few moments, he recognized it.

"Grissom…"

"Hold on Greg, help is on the way.  You have to hold on."  Before he could even formulate his next thought, the darkness rolled in and as it did, the pain lessened, until it ceased.  Greg fell unconscious and Grissom was helpless to do anything.

*********************

            "Greg?  Greg?"  Grissom saw the young man's body go limp.  He quickly checked for a pulse, and found a very weak one.  Thankfully, Greg was not dead.  He was only unconscious, but if Catherine and the others did not arrive quickly…He didn't even want to imagine the possibilities.  He gently rolled Greg over so that he was lying on his back.  Grissom pulled his shirt over his head and wrapped it around Greg's shoulder.  He tied it tight, hoping to stop whatever bleeding was still occurring.  He looked over his shoulder to check on Beth.

            "Beth, you okay?"

            "For now…"

            "Put your leg up on the coffee table.  It will help to slow the bleeding."  Beth did as she was instructed, pain etched on her face as she moved her leg.  

Grissom was not a man of faith, but he felt the need to pray.  He prayed that Catherine and the others would arrive quickly.  He prayed that Greg would live.  He prayed that Beth would live.  And he prayed that everything would be okay in the end.

*********************


	15. The Cavalry Arrives

Catherine had her dash lights flashing and traffic parted for her, creating a clear path to Grissom's townhouse. Nick, Warrick, and Sara had jumped in her Tahoe and they had left Greg's house immediately after the phone call had ended. Jim had jumped in his own vehicle and had taken a different route in case there was unexpected traffic. Catherine had Sara call 911 and two ambulances had been dispatched. Catherine could only hope that they would arrive in time. They had been on the road for roughly five minutes, and she knew that they were close to Grissom's home. She just hoped that Beth and Greg could hold on a little longer.

* * *

Grissom held Greg, constantly checking his pulse. He would not let the overactive, spunky chemist die in his arms. The contrast between the Greg he knew and the Greg he held was immeasurable. The young man was usually catching up on the latest gossip or trying to make someone smile. He always had a sparkle in his eye, and he was always active, doing something. The Greg that he saw before him was the exact opposite. He no longer had the sparkle in his eye. Before he had fallen unconscious, his eyes had a glassy look to them. His skin was cold to the touch and his forehead was covered with beads of sweat. Grissom's heart was torn in two. Things weren't looking good for Greg. He was experiencing hypovolemic shock, due to the large volume of blood that he lost. Grissom did his best to make the young man comfortable.

* * *

Beth was leaning against the couch with her right leg propped up on the table. She began to shiver as she, too, started to experience hypovolemic shock. She began to concentrate all of her efforts on staying conscious and fully aware of her surroundings. She started to verbally recite her name, address, birth date, and various other simple things. She refused to give in.

* * *

Grissom heard Beth's voice and it caught him unaware. He noticed that her eyes were closed and she appeared as though she was deep in thought.

"My name is Beth Morstan. I live at 346 West Corner Street. I was born on January 26, 1976. Today's date is April 30, 2004…."

Grissom knew that she was fighting to stay conscious. He listened to her as she continued to recite things that seemed trivial. He was about to ask her who the president of the United States was, when he heard a car squeal into the driveway. He heard car doors open and then he heard the familiar voices of Catherine, Nick, Warrick, and Sara. He shouted to them. "Catherine! We're in here!"

"Hold on Gil, we're coming!" She ran into his house and was by his side in a matter of seconds. Nick, Sara, and Warrick were right behind her.

"Cat, I need you to check on Beth. She's in hypovolemic shock, and I don't know how much longer she is going to last."

* * *

Catherine looked shaken, but only for a moment. She soon took charge of the situation. She moved over to Beth's side. She noticed that Beth was no longer applying any real pressure to her leg. She was loosing her strength and with it, her consciousness. Catherine pressed her own hands to Beth's wound while she frantically looked around for something that she could tie around it. She found a towel on one of the chairs. "Sara! I need that towel!" Sara found the towel in question and tossed it to her within seconds. She quickly tied the towel as tight as she could around Beth's leg.

While she was doing that, Nick and Warrick hovered over their bleeding co-workers and friends. Each wanted desperately to help, but there was only so much that they could do until the paramedics arrived. Warrick had checked the pulse of the unknown man, lying in a pool of blood on the opposite side of the room. The man was obviously dead, but he had to check, regardless.

Catherine started to talk to Beth, trying to keep her engaged in conversation. Beth's answers were slow and were bordering on incomprehensible, but at least she was still awake. Catherine continued to apply pressure to Beth's leg, even though the towel was tied there. It was only a few more minutes before the sounds of sirens could be heard in the distance. There was a collective sigh from the group as they realized that the paramedics were close.

"Nick, go outside and wait for the paramedics. Jump out in the street if you have to. I want them in here as soon as possible." Nick jogged outside and listened for the sirens. He waited for them to come into sight, and he began to wave his arms like a madman. They soon pulled into the driveway and as the paramedics exited their vehicles and prepared their equipment, Nick began to fill them in on the little he knew.

"We have two gunshot victims, a male and a female. The man was shot in the shoulder and is unconscious. The woman was shot in the upper thigh and is going into shock. Both have lost a large volume of blood. It's important that these guys live. They're two of our own." Nick couldn't control his emotions anymore. As the paramedics rushed inside, tears began to fall freely from his eyes. He couldn't bear the thought of losing Beth and Greg. Greg was like a brother to him, and he was supposed to marry the girl of his dreams. They were both too young to die. They had to pull through.


	16. Darkness

Catherine started to talk to Beth, trying to keep her engaged in conversation. Beth's answers were slow and were bordering on incomprehensible, but at least she was still awake. Catherine continued to apply pressure to Beth's leg, even though the towel was tied there. It was only a few more minutes before the sounds of sirens could be heard in the distance. There was a collective sigh from the group as they realized that the paramedics were close.

"Nick, go outside and wait for the paramedics. Jump out in the street if you have to. I want them in here as soon as possible." Nick jogged outside and listened for the sirens. He waited for them to come into sight and when they did, he began to wave his arms like a madman. They soon pulled into the driveway and as the paramedics exited their vehicles and prepared their equipment, Nick began to fill them in on the little he knew.

"We have two gunshot victims, a male and a female. The man was shot in the shoulder and is unconscious. The woman was shot in the upper thigh and is going into shock. Both have lost a large volume of blood. It's important that these guys live. They're two of our own."

One of the paramedics responded as he passed by Nick. "We'll do the best we can, sir." Nick nodded. He couldn't control his emotions anymore. As the paramedics rushed inside, tears began to fall freely from his eyes. He couldn't bear the thought of losing Beth and Greg. They meant too much to him. They were like the younger siblings he never had. Greg was always trying to cheer him up, trying to get him to laugh. And Beth was always there to listen whenever there was something on his mind. Neither one of them ever expected anything in return. They were two of the best people that he knew. They didn't deserve to die. They had to pull through.

* * *

Catherine and Grissom stepped aside as the paramedics came in and took over the situation. Both were very nervous for their young co-workers' lives. Grissom watched as the paramedics worked feverishly on Greg's still form. He knew enough about human anatomy to know that Greg would need a miracle to survive. He listened to the frantic words spoken between the men who were trying to keep Greg alive. They stabilized the young man as best they could then placed him on a stretcher and rushed him out to the waiting ambulance. One of the men looked at Grissom and asked him a question. "Excuse me sir, are you related to the victim?"

His voice was shaky, and full of emotion. "No, I'm not a blood relative, but I am definitely family."

"Then I'm going to ask you to ride with us. We're going to need you at the hospital." Grissom hesitated only long enough to let Catherine know what he was doing. He then stuck to Greg's side, whispering words of comfort and of hope to the young man, while praying for a miracle.

* * *

The paramedics working on Beth moved as fast as those who worked on Greg. Beth was still conscious, but was unable to communicate coherently. She could only answer yes or no questions, nothing more complicated. The paramedics tried to keep her awake by asking her questions about simple things. While they were asking her questions, they quickly removed the bloodied towel from her leg and replaced it with sterile gauze and bandages from their kits.

* * *

Beth's mind was whirling. The pain combined with the fact that her best friend was on the verge of death was too much for her. She knew that she had to keep fighting, but her reasons for fighting were fading with every passing second. She heard some of the paramedics whispering about Greg's condition, and she knew how bleak things looked. She didn't want to and couldn't live without Greg. She finally stopped fighting the darkness that had begun to obscure her vision. Closing her eyes, she welcomed the numbing blackness that washed all of her pain away away.

* * *

The paramedics lifted the now unconscious Beth onto a stretcher and began to take her towards the ambulance. Before they could go very far, Catherine jumped to Beth's side. With tears in her eyes she said, "I'll be riding with her."

One of the paramedics turned to her. "Are you related?"

"I'm part of her family, yes."

"Okay."

Catherine turned to Sara. "I'm riding with Beth, and Gil is with Greg. Wait for Brass and when he gets here, go with him to the hospital." Sara was about to say something, but Catherine had already turned and was rushing out the door to be with Beth.

* * *

Warrick felt like the whole thing was just one big nightmare. After checking for a pulse on the dead man, he had walked over the corner and stood there, alone. He had watched the scene as though it weren't real. It wasn't Beth and Greg lying on the floor bleeding; it was two other people, people that he didn't know. Throughout his entire career as a CSI, he had only dealt with three crimes that had touched him personally. The first was when the rookie, Holly Gribbs, was shot and killed while he should have been with her. The second was when a little girl in his old neighborhood was shot and killed. And the third was when Detective Lockwood was shot and killed during a bank robbery. These three instances had touched him in a way that made him rethink his mortality. But when he saw Beth and Greg lying on the floor, these three instances faded away into nothing. He knew the two chemists much better than he had known any of the three who had died. Beth and Greg were two of his close friends. They were part of his family. He didn't know what he would do if either one of them died. He tried to shake the morbid thoughts from his head, but the sight of Beth and Greg lying on the floor had been burned into his mind. Whenever he closed his eyes, he saw them. Fresh tears began to fall from his eyes as he thought of the scene all over again.

* * *

Sara turned to face Nick and Warrick. Her eyes were brimming with tears as she spoke. "Catherine is riding with Beth and Grissom is riding with Greg. She told us to wait for Brass so that he can take us to the hospital."

"Why can't we take the Tahoe?" Nick's eyes were red and his cheeks were wet. He was panicking. He wanted nothing more than to get to the hospital as soon as possible and to be with Beth and Greg again.

"None of us are in any condition to drive." Nick knew she was right. He cursed under his breath and sat down. He put his head in his hands and sat there weeping. His best friends were going to die and there was nothing he could do about it. He had never felt so helpless in his life. He was always fighting for someone or something. But this time, the fight was not his. The fight belonged to Beth and Greg, and unfortunately, it looked as though they might lose.


	17. The ER

            Grissom watched as the paramedics continued to work on Greg as they sped towards the hospital.  They had covered his wound with fresh bandages, and were giving him blood via a small needle placed in his left arm.  By all accounts, Greg should have been dead by now.  Something was keeping him alive.  Grissom knew that Greg was a fighter.  The chemist would work at something until he knew the answer or had solved the problem.  This was apparent in both his lab work and field work.  He had always been a dedicated and hard worker.  Grissom looked hard at the young man lying on the stretcher.  His face was very pale and was a stark contrast to the red bandages on his arm.  Grissom had to tear his eyes away from the heart-wrenching scene.  With some effort, he pulled his eyes away from Greg and looked out the window.  He recognized the buildings and he knew that they were near the hospital.  He hoped that Greg would continue to fight and continue to live. 

*********************

            Catherine had never felt so helpless in her life.  She watched as the paramedics worked on Beth, tending to her wound and giving her blood.  She found herself crying all over again.  She wished she had taken the time to ask Beth why she was leaving the party.  She wished she had thought to go with her.  Then maybe it wouldn't be Beth on the stretcher, it would be her.

*********************

            Both of the ambulances arrived at the hospital within a relatively short time span.  The paramedics exited their vehicles and rushed their patients into the hospital, so that they could be properly cared for by surgeons and doctors.  Greg and Grissom were the first to arrive.  Grissom followed Greg's stretcher as far as he could until he was asked to wait in a designated room.  Grissom watched as Greg was rolled into the ER, and then did as he was told, knowing that Greg was in good hands.  He entered the waiting room and began to pace the length of the room.

            Beth and Catherine arrived within a few minutes.  Catherine entered the waiting room, tears streaming down her face.  She found Grissom pacing up and down the room and she walked over to him.  She tapped him on the shoulder, and when he turned to see who had interrupted his thoughts, he found Catherine, crying.  The two embraced, sharing an emotional connection born out of tragedy.

            After a few moments, they released each other.  "Gil, how do you think Greg is doing?"

"It's hard to say Catherine.  He lost so much blood that he should probably be dead.  But he's still holding on.  He's fighting to live.  He's a strong kid.  If anyone could pull through this, it would be him."

"I hope you're right Gil."  

"I'm assuming that you rode with Beth."  Catherine nodded her head.  "How was she doing?"

"She lost a lot of blood Gil, but I think she's going to make it."  Grissom nodded his head and returned to his pacing.  Catherine headed for a nearby chair and sat down.  Soon after, an uneasy silence settled in over the room.

*********************

Within fifteen minutes, the rest of the CSI team arrived at the hospital.  Brass approached the front desk and asked where he could find Greg Sanders and Beth Morstan.  "Excuse me miss, do you know where Greg Sanders and Beth Morstan are located?"

The lady looked at some charts and found the necessary information.  "Mr. Sanders and Ms. Morstan are in the ER.  I'm afraid that you can't go in there right now, but there is a waiting room just outside the ER if you would like to wait in there."

"Thank you."  Brass had been to the hospital many times and knew exactly where he was going.  Nick, Sara, and Warrick followed close behind him.  When he approached the waiting room, he found Grissom and Catherine waiting inside.  "What's the word?"

Catherine and Grissom looked at each other, and Catherine spoke first.  "Beth lost a lot of blood, but it looks as though she'll make it."

"And Greg?"

This time Grissom answered.  "Greg is still alive, but he's on thin ice right now.  His situation could go either way."

The group soon settled into the room to wait for news on their injured comrades.  There was very little conversation, as everyone was thinking about the possible outcomes of the situation.

*********************

They had been waiting for over an hour and a half.  Any conversation that had taken place was trivial.  They could think of nothing aside from Beth and Greg.  Grissom turned to Brass and whispered to him.  "Brass, these guys need to go home.  Could you give them a ride?"

"Sure.  Call me as soon as something comes up."  

While Brass was responding, Grissom stood.  "Sara, Nick, and Warrick, I want you guys to go home and get some rest.  It's been a long evening, and it's only going to get longer.  Go home and shower, eat, do something.  Brass will take you home while Catherine and I wait here.  We'll call you if there are any new developments."

Nick was about to protest when Warrick came up behind him.  "Nick, listen to Grissom.  We're not doing anyone any good by just sitting here.  Let's go home and take a breather.  We can come back in a few hours."

Nick sighed as he finally gave in to Grissom and Warrick's advice.  "I want you to call me as soon as anything happens, okay Grissom?"

"You have my word Nick."  Nick slowly led the way out of the room.  Sara, Brass, and Warrick followed, and Catherine and Grissom were left alone in the waiting room once again.

*********************


	18. The News

            A few more hours passed before there was any official word on Greg or Beth's condition.  Brass had brought the three CSIs to their homes and then returned to the hospital.  He had been waiting with Catherine and Grissom for a while, until finally, a doctor in a white lab coat entered the waiting room.  Catherine, Grissom, and Brass all gave the man their undivided attention.

"Hello folks.  My name is Dr. Turner, and I have some good news."  Grissom felt as though a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.  "Ms. Morstan has made it through her surgery and is going to be fine.  She's being moved as we speak."  The doctor paused and all three of the experienced CSIs caught it.

"And Greg?"  Grissom asked the question that was on everyone's mind.

"Mr. Sanders is still in the ER.  It looks as though he'll pull through, but there is still a chance that he might not."  

"Thank you Dr. Turner.  When will be able to see Beth?"

"You can see her now, but she's under heavy medication and shouldn't be awake for a few more hours."  Catherine, Brass, and Grissom expressed their thanks and followed Dr. Turner into a white room.  The room was more sterile than the labs at the crime lab.  In the midst of the brightness, was the pale still form of Beth Morstan.  While Brass and Catherine pulled chairs up beside Beth's bed, Grissom stepped outside the room to make a phone call.

"Stokes."

"Nick, it's Grissom.  Beth just came out of surgery.  She's going to be fine."

"Gris, that's great.  When can we see her?"

"Well, right now she's sleeping off the drugs.  They don't expect her to wake up for a few hours.  But Catherine and Jim are in there with her now."

"I'll call Sara and Warrick and we'll be over shortly."  There was a pause.  "How's Greg?"

"Greg is still in surgery, but we were told that it looks like he's going to make it.  There's still a chance that he won't, but the doctors are optimistic."

"Well, it's good to hear that his odds are looking up.  I have to admit Grissom; I was getting really nervous there for a while."

"I think we all were Nick.  Can you call the others and let them know?  I'm going to see how Beth's doing."

"Yea, I'll call them.  Thanks Gris."   Grissom hung up the phone and re-entered Beth's room.  Catherine and Brass were watching her as she slept, while whispering words of comfort and encouragement to her.  Grissom took a seat beside Catherine and thought about how close he had come to losing two of his closest friends.

Nick, Sara, and Warrick arrived at the hospital within the half hour.  They found Beth's room and went to join Catherine, Grissom, and Brass.  The three younger CSIs had made a pit stop on the way to the hospital and had bought some flowers, a card, and picked up a framed picture of the night-shift.  They set the three items on the small table beside her bed and waited. 

It had been an hour since Nick, Sara, and Warrick had arrived and Grissom was feeling the weight of the evening.  He had come crashing down off of an adrenaline rush and he was having a hard time focusing.  He fell asleep once, and as he drifted, he began to dream.  He began to remember the events of the evening.  He saw Greg lying in a pool of his own blood, and then he watched the madman shoot Beth all over again.  He jolted awake when he heard the gunshot.  He was breathing hard and he was sweating.  Catherine saw the whole thing.  "Gil, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure."  Grissom made no effort to move.

"Outside."  Catherine stood up and left the room, waiting for Grissom to follow.  He soon joined her and shut the door behind him.  "Gil, I have no idea what you went through or what you saw, but I do know that you're not doing yourself any good, sitting here, reliving the moment every time you close your eyes.  Why don't you go over to my house and take a cold shower or something, maybe clear your mind."

"Thanks Catherine, but-"

"No 'buts', Gil.  I want you to go.  Catch a cab and I'll call you when we hear anything about Greg."  Catherine had efficiently blocked Grissom's re-entry into the room, so he had no choice but to leave.  Before he left, he gave Catherine a hug.

"Thank you Catherine.  Thanks for everything."

"You're welcome Gil."  She watched him leave and her heart went out to him.  It had been a horrendous night for him, and he needed to digest it.  After he was out of sight, she returned to the room and joined her friends.


	19. Relocating

Grissom arrived at Catherine's house and found it empty. He vaguely remembered her saying something about Lindsay spending the night with her aunt. The solitude was a mixed blessing. There was no one to fuss over him, but there was also no one to interrupt his thoughts and recollections of the event. He had visited Catherine's home on numerous occasions and he easily maneuvered his way around. He walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. He couldn't remember the last time he ate, and he could almost hear her voice urging him to eat. But he just wasn't hungry. Images of the blood pooling on the floor of his townhouse kept obscuring his vision. He shook his head, trying to shake the images out of his mind. Closing the fridge, he found his way to the bathroom. He opened the glass shower door and turned the water on. He ran it as hot as it would go, and an immediate cloud of steam billowed up from the shower floor. The sound of the water was a welcome distraction, but it was not enough to keep him from thinking about Beth and Greg in the hospital. Fresh tears brimmed in his eyes and he let them fall. It was as if a dam had burst. He collapsed against the wall and slid down to the floor. He sat there for a few minutes, trying to purge himself of all that he had kept concealed.

It was a little while before the doctor returned to the small gathering in Beth's room. When he spoke, he addressed everyone, making eye contact with each individual. "First and foremost, I came to let all of you know that Mr. Sanders pulled through the surgery and he's doing just fine." There was an audible sigh of relief that arose from the small crowd. "There are a few things that I feel I should point out. First of all, although both Mr. Sanders and Ms. Morstan made it through their surgery, they may have a difficult time returning to their normal lives. Trauma like this affects different people in different ways, as I'm sure you all know. The best thing that you folks can do is to be supportive but don't smother them. They're both adults and they will need their space if they are to get back into the swing of things. The second thing is that there were physical repercussions of the incident. We felt that it in Ms. Morstan's best interests if we left the bullet in her femur. It would have caused more damage if we had tried to remove it. This may leave her with a slight limp, but other than that, she will heal fully. The bullet that hit Mr. Sanders shoulder caused severe tissue damage. Wewere able to rebuild much of his shoulder, but there will be a good deal of scar tissue. He may not have the same range of motion that he had prior to the incident, and he may have to go through physical therapy if he wishes to restore it. Again, the best that you folks can do for them is to be supportive. And finally, on a lighter note, we decided that it would be in both Mr. Sanders and Ms. Morstan's best interests if we placed them in the same room. They should be just finishing up in the ER, so I'm going to have to ask all of you to move into the waiting room while we relocate Mr. Sanders." He scanned the room, seeing how much these two individuals had affected the small gathering of people. There were tears in almost every eye.

Catherine was overjoyed to hear that Greg was alive and well, as were the others. As they exited the room, they talked about little things that Beth and Greg had done to impact their lives. Catherine wanted to join them, but she knew that she had to call Grissom. She walked down the hallway, away from the waiting room, so that she could have some privacy. She called her home number, but there was no answer. She decided to call his cell phone number and he picked up on the first ring.

"Catherine?"

"Yea Gil, it's me."

"What's the word?"

She could sense something in his voice. It seemed as though he was a little less tense than before. "Gil, he's fine. His surgery went without a hitch, and they're moving him out of the ER as we speak. They're going to put him in the same room as Beth."

"Thank God he's okay. I was really worried."

"It's okay Gil, they're both fine." There was a short pause, and Catherine was sure she heard Grissom sniffle. "The question is, are you okay?"

"Yea, yea…I'm fine. I'll be over as soon as I can."

"If you feel fit to drive, you can take my car. The keys are hanging up by the fridge."

"Thanks again Catherine."

"No problem. I'll see you soon." She shut the phone and rejoined the others in the waiting room.


	20. Awake

Beth slowly opened her eyes.  The light was blinding and she was forced to close her eyes.  She had no idea where she was.  She felt as though she had been sleeping for a week but she was still tired.  The sounds of soft murmuring seemed to come from everywhere.  As she listened to the voices, she began to recognize them.  She heard Grissom's voice, Catherine's voice, and Nick's voice.  There were others, but they were too soft to identify.  She assumed that all of the CSIs were present.  She blinked her eyes again, and someone noticed.

"Guys, I think she's waking up."  The voice was undoubtedly Grissom's.  He was whispering excitedly, and she wasn't sure why.  She heard chairs scraping on the floor and people scurrying about the room.  Someone took a hold of her hand, but she wasn't quite sure who it was.  She opened her eyes again and saw the whole night shift gathered by the left side of her bed.  She was able to keep her eyes open this time and she scanned the faces gazing at her expectantly.

Her voice was very soft when she spoke, and everyone leaned in to listen.  "What's up guys?"  A slight laughter rippled through the crowd.  Grissom was the first to speak.

"How are you feeling?"

"I feel like I've been to hell and back.  But other than that, I feel alright.  Although I do have this killer headache."

"That would be the drugs wearing off."

"Where exactly am I?"

"Do you remember anything?"

"About what?"  Grissom turned away from Beth and whispered something to Catherine.  She nodded her head.

"You were in an accident, Beth; one that almost killed you and Greg."

"Is he…?"

"He's fine Beth.  He's in the bed next to you.  But he's still sleeping.  He won't be awake for a little while."  He pointed to the right side of her bed.  Her gaze shifted to where he was pointing and she saw Greg lying in a bed like her own.  He seemed so peaceful in his sleep.  Then she noticed how pale he was, and that his shoulder was heavily bandaged and held sturdily in place.  When she saw the bandage, everything came rushing back to her.  She remembered everything from his proposal to when she and Greg were shot to when she passed out.  She closed her eyes, managing to hold back the tears, but not the shiver that ran down her spine.  Catherine noticed the shiver.

"Beth, are you okay?"  When Beth turned to look at Catherine, she had tears brimming in her eyes.

"I remember everything."  She whispered so softly that her voice was almost inaudible.  "Can you guys leave me alone for a little while?  I need some time to think."  Even as she said it, she rolled over in her bed to face away from her friends and towards Greg.

Catherine gently urged everyone out of the room.  After everyone had left, she walked over to the right side of Beth's bed so that she could look the injured woman in the eyes.  "Beth, I know you want to be alone, but I want you to know that every one of us cares for you.  If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."  Beth just nodded her head, tears streaming down her face.  Catherine turned to leave, but before she left, she heard Beth's voice.

"Cat, can you get Grissom?"

"Sure Beth."

Beth heard the door shut softly.  Not soon after, she heard it open again.  Grissom was soon beside her bed.  He pulled up a chair that was nearby and he sat down.  She was staring at Greg, and Grissom waited for her to speak.  The silence lasted for a few minutes.

"Grissom?  What was it like?"

He hesitated in answering.  "I've never felt so helpless in my entire life."  Beth turned her gaze from Greg to Grissom's face, and she saw that he, too, had tears rolling down his face.

"I feel so foolish.  I never should have gone into your house alone.  I should have taken Brass with me, or at least someone else."

"Beth, you can't change the past.  What's happened has happened.  You're both alive and well, that's all that matters now."

"Alive, maybe, but not necessarily well."  Her eyes drifted away from Grissom and back to Greg.

"Beth, look at me."  She slowly turned her gaze back towards the older man.  "I may not ever know the physical pain that you felt, but believe me, I know the mental anguish that you suffered.  I was there.  You can't live the rest of your life living in the shadow of what he did.  If you do that, then he's won.  I know you're strong.  I know that you will be able to make it through this.  I'll be beside you every step of the way.  You need to be strong both for yourself and for Greg."

"Grissom?  Is he really going to be okay?"

He sighed.  "The doctor said that the bullet did a lot of damage and there will be a lot of scar tissue left in its place.  He may not regain the full use of his shoulder without physical therapy."

"And what about me?"

"The bullet that hit you lodged itself in your femur.  The doctors decided that it would do more damage to remove it, so they left it.  They told us that you might have a slight limp, but other than that you will heal fully."

"Why?  Why did this have to happen, Grissom?"

"I don't know."  A silence fell over the two, and Beth returned her gaze to Greg.  She watched him sleep, knowing that he would be scarred for life, both mentally and physically.  She wanted so much to be in his arms, to cry on his shoulder.  But she couldn't.  She could only watch and wait.


	21. The Healing Process

Elise, the second needle reversed the effects of the first needle.  Grissom is fine, physically.  Thanks for catching that.

            Beth had fallen into a fitful sleep and Grissom had remained by her side.   He couldn't leave her now.  She needed someone to lean on, and Greg was still unconscious.  He was watching her sleep when his phone vibrated.  He picked it up and flipped it open.

"Grissom."

"Grissom, it's Catherine.  I just wanted to check up on Beth.  How's she doing?" 

Grissom arose from his seat and walked to the far corner of the room.  "She's sleeping at the moment.  I'm worried about her, Catherine.  I wish there was some way that I could take her pain away."

"Gil, she's strong.  If anyone could pull through this, it would be her."

"I hope so."  There was a short pause.

"So how's Greg?"

"He's still sleeping.  But I'll call you when he wakes up."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"Well, I should probably get back to work.  You take care Gil."

"I will."  Grissom shut his phone and returned to his bedside vigil.

Grissom awoke with a start.  He had fallen asleep in his chair, and something had woken him up.  He looked at Beth, but she was still sleeping.  He turned around to see Greg lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling.  Grissom approached the young man slowly, not wanting to disturb him.

Without turning his gaze from the ceiling, Greg spoke.  "All I wanted to do was protect her, and I failed.  I…"  His voice trailed away as tears welled up in his eyes.  Grissom waited for him to continue.  "I waited for him to come tie my hands.  I knew that he would have to put the gun down if he wanted to tie the ropes tight.  I waited until the rope touched my skin, and then I jumped him.  If only I had been a little faster, the whole thing could have been over before it started.  But he grabbed the gun before I had the chance, and he…"  Greg paused again.  Grissom knew what happened next, even though he had not seen it.  Grissom understood what Greg was feeling.  Greg needed to voice the wild thoughts chasing each other through his mind.  The older man waited patiently for Greg to go on with his recollection.  "He shot me in the shoulder.  I didn't even feel the initial pain.  The only thing that I could think about was Beth.  A few seconds later, the pain hit me, and I couldn't even get up.  All I could do was lie on the floor and bleed."  At this point, Greg turned his gaze from the ceiling to Grissom.  "I tried to protect her Grissom, but I ended up almost getting her and myself killed.  Do you have any idea what that feels like?"

Grissom didn't know how to respond.  He had an understanding of what Greg was feeling.  The difference was that Greg had a chance to protect his friends, while Grissom did not have that chance.  The older man had been forced to watch, unable to do a single thing.

Grissom chose his words carefully.  "Greg, I may never know exactly what you feel, but I feel part of it.  I wanted nothing more than to be able to protect both of you, but I couldn't.  I couldn't even move."  Grissom's voice faded out as his mind wandered back to the incident.  A silence fell over the room as both men relived the evening.

When Beth awoke, she found that Grissom was gone.  She looked over at the small table and found his phone and a few other items that belonged to him, so she assumed that he had stepped out momentarily, possibly to get food.  She was about to go back to sleep when something caught her eye.  Greg shifted in his bed.  She looked at him to find him staring at the ceiling.

"Greg?"  He turned to face her.  She saw an emptiness in his eyes that scared her.  She wanted to go to him.  She wanted to throw her arms around him and take refuge in his embrace, but her injury wouldn't allow her.  There was so much she wanted to say to him, but she couldn't speak.  She finally managed to utter three simple words, words that she was afraid she might never have had the chance to say to him.  "I love you."  The tears that had been brimming in his eyes now fell down his cheek.

"I love you, too, Beth."  Those simple words diffused the tension that had been building in the air, and Beth and Greg were able to momentarily release the mental anguish that they had been feeling.  There were no more words said between the two, but the silence spoke volumes.  They had begun the healing process.  And they had begun together.


	22. Epilogue: Happily Ever After

Sorry this chapter took so long to write. I lost interest for a while, but once I got started, this chapter came pretty quickly.

* * *

A month had passed, and both Beth and Greg had returned to work. Beth was the only one who would talk of the incident, but she would only do so if asked. Greg and Grissom chose not talk of the incident at all, except with each other or with Beth, and they only did that on rare occasions. Nick, Sara, Catherine, and Jim didn't ask them about what had happened that night because they didn't want to be responsible for bringing up unwanted memories. They were satisfied with the knowledge they gathered from the brief case file regarding the incident. 

Beth and Greg dealt with the incident and its repercussions in different ways. Beth chose to accept what had happened and move on with her life, while Greg suppressed his feelings and locked them in a place deep within his heart. He felt that if he ignored the whole thing, it wouldn't bother him. But it did. Every time he looked at Beth, he was reminded of what happened. If he somehow managed to forget for one moment, he would be reminded once again when he watched her walk; for, although both of them had been injured, she had been left with the more visible scars. The bullet had been left in her leg, and as a result, she was left with a limp, one that was not horribly obvious, but one that could be detected by anyone who watched her carefully. And whenever there was a drastic change in the barometric pressure, she would feel it in her leg. There would be a dull aching pain that left her exhausted and in desperate need of Advil. Greg often wished that he could somehow take her pain upon himself. He had been relatively lucky. He had been shot in the shoulder, and with a little bit of physical therapy, he had regained the full use of his shoulder. Other than the scar, there was no physical evidence of the incident on his body. He had a very difficult time dealing with his fiancée's injury, constantly feeling that he should have been better able to protect her. But he buried these feelings. And the longer he kept them hidden, the more they weighed him down. His eyes had lost the luster that they once had, and his eccentricities became less eccentric. Everyone noticed that Greg had changed, but the only person who would talk to him about it was Beth, and she knew that he needed his time and space for a while. So Greg was left alone to deal with his thoughts and feelings in his own time.

Beth handled the incident in a vastly different manner than Greg. She did not ignore her feelings like Greg did. She would often talk to Grissom, not wanting to weigh Greg down anymore than he already was. Grissom would listen to her and would supply her with encouragement and advice when she needed it. Since she had decided to deal with her feelings, she quickly rebounded from the incident, and her life returned to a relatively normal state. One thing bothered her no matter how hard she tried to deal with it, and that was when strangers asked her about her limp. She had a hard time telling complete strangers that she had nearly died when a madman shot her and her best friend, so she created a story. Her story usually involved an intense softball game where she had slid into home plate only to come into contact with the catcher's unmoving leg. She would explain how the impact had broken her leg and left her with the limp. She never failed to mention that she was safe at the plate and that her run was the winning run. Her sense of humor had survived the ordeal unscathed, and she quickly resumed her never ending pursuit of laughter.

Grissom didn't really change much. The walls that he had built up before the nightmarish ordeal remained intact, only they had stretched to encompass the pain and anguish that he felt whenever his mind wandered back to what Rayford Steele had done to Beth and Greg. Whenever Beth came in to share her thoughts with him, his investigator instincts would be switched off and he would show a sympathy and a compassion that few others had ever seen. Sometimes, his walls would crack and he would share some of his mental anguish with her, but that did not happen often. He tried to keep to himself as much as possible, and in that respect, he remained unchanged by the incident.

* * *

It had been a little under two months since the couple had returned to work, and a little under three months since the incident in Grissom's townhouse, and everyone had returned to normal, Greg included. He had finally opened up to Beth and everyone in the lab knew it. His eccentricities came back with a vengeance and his eyes had more life in them than ever before. But on this special day, what had happened that dreadful night and the repercussions of the incident were the last things on anyone's mind. 

Grissom parked his Tahoe in the small parking lot adjacent to the chapel. Catherine had needed a ride and Grissom was more the happy to drive her, so the two of them sat in silence before the chapel.

"Gil, what are you feeling right now?"

"Honestly? I feel nervous. I actually feel like I have butterflies in my stomach. And I'm not really sure why."

"I know why. It's because you care for these guys and you want only the best for them. Well, you can rest easy. If any man and woman were meant to be together forever, it would be Beth and Greg."

"Yeah, you're right." Grissom let out a heavy sigh, and opened his door. He felt uncomfortable in his suit and tie, but he wanted to look his best.

Catherine was dressed in a light blue cocktail dress with matching heels. She exited the Tahoe and walked over to Grissom. Adjusting his tie, she said, "Don't worry. I know it will be a beautiful ceremony and everything will be perfect." Grissom smiled, and Catherine knew it was a genuine smile. She took his arm as he led her into the chapel.

When they entered the pristine building, they were seated by one of the ushers. The young man led them to the third row from the front, where they were seated with Brass. The three of them chatted idly until the ceremony started.

Greg was among the first to enter. Grissom half-expected him to be wearing slacks and a Hawaiian print shirt, and was quite surprised to find the young man wearing a very sharp black tuxedo. Grissom was also surprised to see Greg's infamous water molecule tie decorating the front of his tux. He didn't think Beth would let him wear it. He let out a subtle cough to cover his laugh. As Grissom observed the ecstatic young man, he noticed that his hair had actually been styled. It had been tamed and gelled forward. Grissom watched as Greg twitched his hands nervously and finally ran one of his hands through his hair. Greg apparently realized that he had just ruined his nice hair, but he soon decided that his usual hairstyle was better. He quickly ran both hands through his hair numerous times until his trademark spiky hair was back. He then looked toward the people seated in the pews and pointed to his hair, asking the question, "What do you guys think?" People started to laugh, and Greg had officially broken the ice. Nerves were settled and everyone prepared to watch a beautiful wedding.

When the laughter had died down, the wedding party entered with Sara as one of the bridesmaids and Nick and Warrick being among the groomsmen. The three of them looked very nice in their respective attire, and they were all smiling, knowing that they had been right all along; Beth and Greg were finally getting married.

The music changed and everyone arose from their seats. The sounds of shuffling feet were abundant as everyone in the chapel turned to see the bride make her entrance. Beth entered slowly and Grissom couldn't see her behind all of the people straining to see. When Beth finally neared the front of the chapel, Grissom found that he had been holding his breath since she entered. He slowly let out a deep breath and tried to calm his nerves. He couldn't have been more jittery if this was his own daughter's wedding. But Grissom didn't have any children and despite his nerves, he was very happy to see Beth and Greg finally getting married.

When Beth approached the altar, Grissom caught his first good look at her. She was wearing a stunning pearl white dress with a train that stretched out beautifully behind her. Grissom smiled at what he found decorating the lower right portion of the front of Beth's dress. He found nothing other than a water molecule to match the one on Greg's tie. Grissom smiled as he pictured Beth and Greg conspiring to match the symbols. Upon continuing his observations, Grissom could see that her hair had been curled and it framed her face very nicely. Tears began to form in his eyes as he watched the beautiful couple gaze into each other's eyes.

After everyone was seated, the ceremony began. As anticipated, the wedding proceeded beautifully. The minister spoke eloquently, the music was played beautifully, and the vows were said with love and commitment behind every word. Finally, the rings were exchanged and the minister spoke. "You may now kiss the bride." Greg seized the moment. He lifted the veil and leaned forward to kiss Beth. Suddenly, he placed his arm her around her waist and dipped her down low. He did notinitiate the kiss; instead she threw her arm around his neck and drew him in for a quick yet passionate kiss. He gracefully returned her to her standing position and the ceremony proceeded. "Ladies and gentlemen, I now pronounce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Sanders." A great applause arose from the people seated in the pews. Grissom was the first to rise, and everyone followed suit, congratulating the young couple on their marriage.

Beth and Greg walked down the aisle, hand in hand, and headed outside to take their pictures with the wedding party. Grissom couldn't help but notice how happy and beautiful Beth and Greg were. He watched them make their exit and he found himself evaluating his own life. Did he miss his chance to be that happy? Probably, but he wouldn't let that bother him, at least not now. Now was Beth and Greg's time, and he was very happy for them. The time finally came for his row to exit the chapel sanctuary and head downstairs for the reception. And as he headed down the stairs with Catherine by his side, he finally realized how good life really was.


End file.
